BOTM
by ToXicCarEss
Summary: A girl from our time, 2009, finds a strange amulet that transportes her to D's time. Can he help her find her way back home while fending off werewolves and a dangerous Vampire Count? .. The full summary is in 'BOTM INFO' so I suggest you read it. Thanks!
1. BOTM Info

**Hey everyone! This is my first shot at writing a VHD fic so bare with me for the first chapters until I get into it.**

**Summary:**** A girl from our time gets transported to D's time and meets up with the famous vampire hunter. But D's not the only one the girl's presence attracts, so now D must help the girl get back to her own time while protecting her from a powerful vampire who wants her for his own purposes.**

**Info on Rae****: Short(a few inches past shoulders)wavy red hair and dark blue eyes. A decent figure and a bit of a tom boy. She's from America the year 2007. If you have any questions about the character ask me. I'm not sure how I'm going to work this story romance wise so we'll see in later chapters.**

**Hope you like it!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Hey all! Well here's the first chapter I hope u enjoy it! Oh by the way I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE HUNTER D OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT SO I WOULD APPRECIATE NOT BEING SUED... ok now that that's taken care of lets give this a shot:)

(Note: "talking" _'thought'_)

"I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning." Rae grumbled aloud to herself as she turned off the main road she was currently walking down and onto the old dirt road that led to her house. The loose stones crunched under her feet as she stomped irritably down the unpaved road, stumbling every now and than on a few large rocks poking out from under the dirt. It just seemed to get worse with every rain storm they had, by morning another layer of the road would be washed away and she would be tempted to have the whole damn thing paved herself. If only she could afford it. Maybe in another 50 years working at that dead end job she just may be able to afford half.

'_I don't know why I even go to that job anymore.'_

Work had been complete hell. The boss had been on a warpath today and was on her, and the other employees' cases all day. It was bad enough she had to sit at a desk all day with mounds of boring paperwork and imbecile clients calling in every five minutes to bug her with some inane issue a ten year old could solve. Today she had to deal with that and her boss hollering at her while leaning over her shoulder and pointing out every little thing she did that he didn't find sufficient.

By her lunch break she barely managed to stop herself from shoving her computer mouse down his throat and choking him with the cord. Sometimes she felt so completely fed up with her life she considered packing her stuff, getting on a bus and just running away from it all.

Last night had been another rough night so she had barley gotten any sleep, which only made her already short temper even worse.

_'Thanks to that dream.' _

Lately she's been having really weird dreams, but she can't remember exactly what they were about except bits and pieces of them. They seem to take place in a town of some sort, and it was always dark. She remember there are people but they don't look like they are from her time. She would be walking among them, invisible to their eyes, gazing at them curiously. Everything seemed okay... until the screaming started. When she first had the dream she thought it was humans who were attacking the people, but now she knew better. At first glance they seemed to be human, until they turned towards her. She could see the blood red eyes that matched the substance dripping from their sharp fangs. She'd watch them massacre the men, women, and children sucking the blood from them... like vampires. Of course vampires weren't real, or at least that's what Rae told herself. She whispered it over and over again like a chant as she watched the blood shed, trying to block out the screams, until one of the vampires shifts his gaze to her. He's not like the others as he stands in the middle of the chaos. She notices his dark midnight black hair as he casually drops the dead body of a woman on the ground and starts towards her. His eyes were a glowing blood red and he'd stare at her for a short while as she stood completely frozen in one spot. A malicious grin would spread slowly over his face as the blood dripped down his chin. She'd stare back at him to scared to do anything else and he seemed to know it as he circled her like a jackal. Without warning he'd spring toward her…..and that's when she'd wake up screaming and shacking with tears running down her face.

Rae shook her head to erase the memory as she continued walking down the road and soon saw her house coming into view. Her house was like a sanctuary to her, completely surrounded by woods and streams, and almost no neighbors. The other five houses that occupied the road were spread out enough to the point she couldn't even see them from her yard, which gave her some much appreciated space. Rae could definitely be described as more of a country kind of girl than a city girl, she hated crowds and loud noises, much preferring a more laid back and relaxed atmosphere .

"Finally." She sighed to herself as she walked up the steps of her front porch which connected to her front door. "I can't wait to take a shower, eat and relax." Unlocking said door and pushing it open, kicking shoes out of her way as she stepped inside, she closed it behind her with a soft click of the handle.

"Honey I'm home!" She shouted as she stepped into the living room and grinned as ecstatic barking rang throughout the house. Turning toward the doorway and catching a glimpse of a black and tan blur right before she was knocked on her ass she let out a sound of surprise. "Damn it Dusk!" She half yelled, half laughed as she tried to push the over excited German shepherd off her.

"Alright get off me. I bet her hungry right?" She asked as she looked at the clock and noticed it was a little after six.

_'Well I guess I better get cooking.' _Rae got up off the floor before noticing the condition of the house. There were cups and dishes spread throughout the living room and the couch pillows were strewn on the floor.

_'Looks like Dusk got bored.' _She eyed him with a look that had his vigorous tail wagging immediately cease as he looked at her guiltily. She just sighed and went to inspect the rest of the house which didn't turn out to be much better. The kitchen sink was full of pots, dishes and silverware. The back of the house, mainly her bedroom, had clothes thrown all over the place along with towels from this mornings shower. She winced at the sight. Last night she had been too tired to clean up and this morning she had been in to much of a rush. _'Oh well looks like dinner will have to wait.' _She thought weakly as she started picking up the clothes.

Three hours later the house was clean, or at least cleaner then it was, and she was changed, showered and both her and Dusk fed. Now, happily lying on the couch with a container of ice cream and Dusk relaxing on the other end Rae found herself to be rather content. She was watching her favorite TV show and nearly dropped her spoon when a huge crash of thunder seemed to shake the house and was soon followed by a bolt of lightning that lit up the whole room.

"This is getting bad." She whispered to herself as she stroked the startled dog's head. The storm had rolled in at about 8:00 and was rapidly getting worse.

_'I'd better go get a flashlight before the power goes out.' _The last thing she needed was to be staggering around in the dark like a wasted teenager sneaking back into the house after curfew. Rae stood up and was about to start for the kitchen when Dusk suddenly launched himself off the couch and streaked past her, knocking into her on the way. With a startled yelp she fell back down on the couch causing her to drop the container of ice cream and her spoon. She laid sprawled across the couch stunned and staring at the hysterically barking dog for a few seconds before her brain started functioning again.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you mutt?" She screamed at Dusk who ignored her and continued his barking at the door. Rae looked out the window as another clasp of thunder roared outside accompanied by the rapidly falling rain. It was pounding against the window so hard she thought it might break.

"Are you nuts? There is no way in hell you're going outside!" She shouted loudly at Dusk as she hauled herself off the couch. When he ignored her and continued his barking she threw her hands in the air, snatched up the ice cream container along with the spoon and stalked towards the kitchen. Rae dumped the container in the freezer and the spoon in the sink. She glanced out the kitchen window and her eyes widened at the sight. Outside, barely peaking through the aggravated storm clouds, was a full moon with a hint of red on it.

"Blood on the moon." She whispered to herself.

_'That's a bad omen.' _Her thoughts were cut short when she heard a loud bang followed by Dusk's ecstatic barking coming from the living room. She raced out of the kitchen and stumbled into the living room only to find the door blown open and Dusk nowhere in sight.

"Oh damn it." She growled to herself as she quickly slipped on sneakers and stepped outside onto the porch. She could barely hear Dusk's wild barking over the rain, but from what she could hear she knew he had run off into the woods. With one last uneasy glance at the door she took off into the woods after him.

_'I know I locked that door.' _She thought to herself as she ran through the woods.

"Dusk!" She yelled as she tried to make out his form. She knew it would be impossible to spot him in the darkness and the rain with only a sliver of the moon to light her way. Rae ran blindly trying to follow his barking, and tripped over a tree root scrapping her leg on a rock.

"Damn it." She muttered to herself as she sat up. She couldn't tell if it was blood or rain running down her leg, but it stung and she hissed in pain as she tried to stand. Her head turned sharply to the right when she heard a snap of what she thought to be a stick or branch. A flash of lightning lit up the woods and allowed her to scan it for the source of the noise. Dusk suddenly bolted past her and continued running deeper into the woods. With a curse she leapt to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ankle from the fall, and bolted after him again.

About a minute later she came to a clearing in the woods and to her relief spotted Dusk sitting in the middle of it next to a small stream. Rae walked up next to him and had him looking up at her happily until he saw the murderous look on her face. She was about to yell at him but decided to just drag him home instead and deal with him there where she could dry off and get something for her scraped knee and throbbing ankle. Rae reached down to grab him by his collar when something in the stream caught her eye. She knelt down on the bank and reached into the stream grabbing the shinny object that had drawn her eye. When she pulled out her hand and opened it her eyes grew wide, in her hand was a medallion of some sort with a huge red stone encircled with silver designs on a long silver chain. She looked at the necklace ,entranced, as she wondered how it ended up in the stream. However, her thoughts were cut short as the medallion started to glow a bright red.

Rae dropped it on the bank in surprise as she tried to scurry away, but just ended up falling on her ass seeing as she had been crouched down on her hunches before. She looked over at Dusk as he started barking madly at the glowing necklace that was starting to entrap her in its light. She made one final attempt to crawl away but was too late. The glow had completely encircled her and she felt herself starting to become weak.

TA DA! Well that's the first chapter I hope it wasn't to painful to sit through. The second chapter will be up soon and she gets 2 meet D! So if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions (friendly is appreciated flames are tolerated) feel free to message me.


	3. Chapter 2: The Meeting

Hey all! I just want to thank all of you who took the time to read my story and send me some very encouraging and helpful reviews. I'm really sorry it took me this long to post this chapter. Well here's chapter 2! **Once again I don't own Vampire Hunter D or make any money off of this.**

"We've been traveling for two weeks straight and I don't know about you but I could use a break. Where exactly are we headed anyway?" D clenched his jaw for about the fourth time that day due to the parasite's never ending complaints and "helpful warnings". His attempt to block him out was failing, so D just gave his usual reply of silence hoping the parasite would get the message. A few minutes passed and the insulted reply D had expected never came, so he sighed in content at the quiet. "Do you have any idea where we're going or are we just traveling around pointlessly now?"

_'Damn!' _D's mind growled in annoyance as the parasite continued to badger him. They had been traveling to a small town that, according to rumors, was being plagued by a very powerful vampire. D decided not to tell the parasite at first because he'd never hear the end of it, now he just wanted to piss him off. "If you keep going like this the horse wont be the only one to drop dead in this heat, or do I have to remind you of..." "No, you don't." The parasite's ranting was quickly cut off by D clenching his fist tightly, so only muffled protests could be heard. Though annoying, D knew the parasite was right, but the hell if he'd ever admit it. Still, D was cutting it close and he could feel the effects of the sun starting to kick in. The town was about another day's journey and D had no intention of stopping anywhere else before he got there. He tried to avoid going into towns unless he had a job to do there, or it was absolutely necessary.

Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered anymore, after all, it was always the same. Suspicion, distrust, hate and fear are what he's come to expect from humans and vampires alike. He is hated by both species and there fore he is alone. He has grown used to it by now though, and accepts it as something that can't be changed, except for one or two occasions where he has found some honest friendship and trust in people, but even that couldn't last. There is always that fear in the back of his mind that his vampric blood could get the best of him one day making a close relationship with anyone impossible.

So he continues to travel alone doing the only thing he's suited for, the yearning for closeness, companionship, and to belong somewhere was a pang that surfaced sometimes, but was immediately extinguished.

D was jerked from his thoughts as his horse came to a sudden stop and started pawing the ground nervously. D looked down at the animal in slight confusion then his eyes slowly surveyed the area for the cause of the horse's behavior.

"What's wrong? Why did you stop?" "I didn't, the horse did." The parasite glanced at the whinnying horse that was fighting against D's commands and trying to turn around.

"What's wrong with this animal? Can you sense anything?" D surveyed the area once more letting his vampric senses take over but still couldn't feel anything out of place.

"No." And with that D tried to urge the horse forward and was rewarded with a slight buck from the anxious animal. D was starting to become annoyed and was about to urge the horse forward more forcefully….when he felt it. There was a slight and sudden shock to the air as it seemed to grow thick. D looked more closely into the distance and could have sworn he saw red sparks hovering in the air. The horse became more and more restless as the air around them seemed to be pulsating now. D became curious as to the cause of these events seeing as he's never dealt with anything like it in all his years of hunting. The parasite could also feel the change by now however, unlike D, he had no interest in investigating the phenomenon and made it known.

"D this isn't a good sign, something is obviously wrong we should..." The parasite never got to finish his warning because at that moment a bright red flash that seemed to come out of the air descended to the ground with a loud crackle. D's horse reared up on its hunches almost knocking him out of the saddle in the process. The hunter was able to tighten his grip on the reigns and keep himself from falling backwards to the ground.

The light remained there for a short while then faded away almost as quickly as it had come. D got the horse under control then stared off in the direction where the light had been only seconds before. "What the hell was that! There you see! I told you! You should have turned back, but you wouldn't listen, like usual, you stubborn...hey...hey! What do you think you're doing?" D steered his now calm horse in the direction of where the light had seemed to die down. "D! You can't be serious! Did you not just see the huge flash of light that shot out of the sky over there!" But D didn't hear him as he kicked his horse to go faster, his mind fixed on the spot in the distance. He couldn't explain it, but he felt drawn to the area, as if something was calling to him.

* * *

She laid there stunned, confused and aching. Her head was still spinning and she kept her eyes clamped shut as her mind tried to process what had just happened. _'Maybe it had all been just a really strange dream?'_ She thought to herself, almost desperately, as she tried to make sense of her experience. Rae had always prided herself on being a reasonable person, so it was only natural for her to try and find a logical explanation for any _unnatural_ occurrences. Attempting to shift her body just a bit she regretted the action immediately and went rigid when a sharp pain shot up her leg at the sudden movement.

_'So much for that idea.'_

Rae could feel a sense of panic starting to creep into her conscious so she took a deep breath and thought back to last night, trying to make sense of the situation. There was the flash of light, the weakness, the sensation of falling, the darkness and then the pain as she connected with the solid ground. This had all lasted just a few moments but to her it had felt like an eternity. Rae wasn't sure how long she had been laying here but she was in no hurry to move, her leg was now throbbing and she had no intention of making it worse. She felt perfectly content lying in the warmth of the sun, but wait, that wasn't right. Her brow wrinkled in confusion as she replayed last night in her head once more.

She remembered the thunderstorm and the pouring rain, but the ground wasn't wet at all...in fact. Her eyes shot open as she turned her head to the right and watched the handful of fine grained sand slowly slip from in between her fingers.

Shakily she scrambled up into a sitting position, the pain in her leg now completely forgotten, and looked wildly around at her surroundings. Her brain refused to accept what her eyes were showing her. There was sand everywhere, as far as she could see. The woods and her house were no where in sight. It looked as if she had been dropped into the middle of a desert. Large hills of sand were the only things that gave some kind of texture to the seemingly bare landscape. The area was vacant of woods, streams and any sign of life, human or otherwise.

"What the hells going on?" She whispered out load to herself as a new wave of panic spread over her. '_This can't be real. It can't be real!' _She thought as she grabbed her head in her hands, hunched over and shut her eyes. Rae's composure started unraveling as the reality of the situation started to set in. Just then, she heard a sound behind her causing her eyes to open wide. Slowly glancing at the ground to her left as a shadow emerged right next to her she could feel her body actually shaking. She was shocked, scared and over whelmed at this point, so what little sense she had remaining flew out the window.

With a cry of fear she dove forward, away from whatever had caused the shadow, completely forgetting about her injured ankle which gave out as soon as she put pressure on it. The result? She fell flat on her face. With a weak groan from both the pain and her dazed state she moved her arms out from under herself and pushed the top half of her body off the ground. shaking her head she looked up and her blue eyes widened as they were met with a pair of chocolate brown. She knew those eyes...

"Dusk." She gasped out softly, unbelievingly, as she stared at the face of her German Sheppard. At the sound of his name Dusk happily whined and licked at her face. After a few seconds the shock of it all wore off and she sat up pulling the dog into her arms. Tears of stress and now happiness were running down her face as she buried it into Dusk's fur comforted by the fact of having something from home near her.

_'Well at least I'm not completely alone.' _Rae's new found calm didn't last long as Dusk wiggled out of her grasp before running off about five feet in front of her and started barking. She couldn't help the feeling of dread that slowly washed over her as she sought out what had gotten Dusk worked up. It didn't take long for her to spot a dark figure moving down one of the larger dunes at a quick pace. She couldn't make the figure out very well, seeing as it was a good distance away, but she knew one thing for certain...it was heading right for her.

_'Oh God, what now?'_

* * *

D's eyes narrowed at the small figure he could now see in the distance. He couldn't make it out just yet, but whatever it was most likely had something to do with the strange flash of light he had witnessed moments before. As he got closer he realized there were actually two figures, one being that of a dog, and the other looked to be a young women.

D slowed his horse to a trot then halted ten feet away from the dog who wasn't showing any signs of aggression, but instead watching him curiously. D glanced behind the dog at the girl who didn't seem curious about him at all, almost the exact opposite, like she was hoping he'd just disappear all together. That wasn't anything new to D so he set his face in it's usual stony expression and slowly dismounted from his horse. D didn't trust humans and tried to avoid encounters with them as best he could, but he wasn't heartless. He could see her ripped and dirty clothes, sense her overwhelming fear as well as panic and he could smell the blood on the girl, which meant she was hurt, he wasn't sure how bad. As soon as his feet touched the ground the dog bound over to him and lunged. D gave a grunt of surprise as the young dog stood on his hind legs with his front paws on D's chest and gave him a nice lick on his left cheek.

"That's the most action I think I've ever seen you get." D nearly growled at the parasite's comment, but his attention was soon drawn to the girl who had shouted at the dog and was now slowly trying to rise to her feet.

* * *

Rae watched as the figure came closer and closer, the urge to just stand and run almost unbearable, but she new she'd never get far with her injured ankle. Not to mention she had no idea where to run too. _'Crap!' _It seemed the situation just kept getting better and better. It seemed her only option now was to just stand her ground and wait and see what exactly the figure would do once it reached her.

The figure finally came into view and she couldn't believe her eyes as she simply sat and stared owlishly at him. She couldn't help but think back to the stories she used to be obsessed with when she was younger about dark, wild, and handsome warriors that traveled through worlds filled with magic and adventure. The man now halted no more then fifteen feet away from her on his midnight black horse put them all to shame. He was clad in full out black leather with a sword strapped around his chest and his cape flowing down his back along with his dark hair. The color of his hair and clothes contrasted greatly with the paleness of his face and skin. It didn't give him a sickly look though, instead, he looked almost unearthly. However, the thing that captured her heart and soul were his eyes. Cliché, no?

At first glance they could appear cold and hard, but if she really looked she could see flashes of sorrow and pain break through the exterior. Rae might have sat there and drooled over him, like any other girl with eyes she imagined, but the interesting newcomer wasn't enough to take her mind of her worries for long, in fact, he just added to them. She had no way to tell what his intentions were and what he was doing out here in the middle of no where, as far as she was concerned, so she gave him a wary glance and prepared herself for whatever might come.

What did come however she wasn't expecting at all. Without warning Dusk, who she had completely forgotten about, happily pranced over to the man as soon as he had dismounted from his horse and stood up full on his hind legs. Bracing himself against the man's chest he than proceeded to give him a nice, sloppy kiss on the side of his face. _'Some guard dog you are!' _She felt like screaming at him as her dog proceeded to make nice with a complete, and possibly dangerous stranger.

Rae didn't know how the man would react to her dog pretty much leaping at him and remembering the sword from earlier, a wave of protectiveness suddenly came over her which gave her a spur of courage. Whatever this man wanted he wasn't going to lay a finger on her, and the hell if she'd let him hurt Dusk.

"Dusk! Get down and get over here right now!" Without thinking she shouted to him and effectively had him jump down off the man's chest and instead sit by his side, happily wagging his tail. Her voice also drew the stranger's eyes back to her as she slowly started to rise to her feet. Mindful of her ankle Rae stood slowly putting all of her weight on her other leg which caused her to teeter a bit, but she managed to stay up right. She new she wouldn't be able to make it far on her own in her current condition and this guy was the only other human life form she's seen, so she made the split second decision to give him a chance. Honestly, what other choice did she have? Wonder around aimlessly in some random direction till she passed out from heatstroke? Somehow taking a chance with this stranger sounded like the better option. At least if he killed her she hoped it would be quicker than shriveling up like a raisin in the scorching heat. Not to mention her dog seemed to like him, so he couldn't be all bad. Right?

Letting out a large sigh and squaring her shoulders determinedly she sent the man what she hoped to be a kind, if not sheepish smile, and began to introduce herself.

* * *

D studied the girl as she managed, with some difficulty, to rise to her feet. She stood about 5'7 and looked no older then 20. D slid his gaze from her injured ankle, which he noticed when she wobbled a bit, up to the scrape on her leg and determined it wasn't life threatening. Continuing his slow inspection his dark eyes drifted up to her well shaped hips, then her rather flat stomach and rested just a second on her chest before proceeding up her long neck and meeting her dark blue eyes which went well with her almost auburn colored hair. He casually admitted to himself the girl had a nice figure that would make any man take a second glance, and was accompanied by strong yet soft features. He nearly smiled to himself as he looked into her eyes which held a ghost of a glare as though she had red his thoughts. She had deep, kind eyes, but imagined they could burn with a fire if her temper was stirred enough. He had seen the flash of worry, then determination come into them when her dog had jumped on him, but D had figured he meant no harm. He was slightly annoyed when he found himself imagining how it would be fun to test just how far he could push her. His vampric blood almost sang at the thought of finding what exactly it would take for him to snap the restraints on the cool exterior she portrayed and set loose the dark side of her he could see barely shimmering through her eyes, and could hear running through her blood.

D was drawn from his thoughts by her loud sigh as she seemed to be coming to some resolution, then slightly raised his eyebrow in question when she sent him what could almost past as a genuine smile and introduced herself. D noticed the fear he had sensed in her earlier was now tightly kept in check. He gave the girl credit, but still doubted she trusted him and came to the conclusion she realized he was her only way of getting somewhere safe. D still had some questions for the young girl about where exactly she came from. Her injuries weren't all he had noticed about the strange girl. Her clothes were nothing like he's ever seen before along with the fact they were soaked, and there hadn't been rain here for at least a week.

D was about to introduce himself to her in hopes she would be willing to answer his questions if she was familiar with him a bit, and saw he meant her no harm. That way maybe he could start trying to figure out how she had gotten out in the middle of the desert all by herself. When he heard her suddenly gasp and found her looking at him with wide eyes he cocked his head slightly in confusion before she pointed an unsteady finger at him. After a second of her mouth hanging open without any noise escaping it she suddenly shouted out, "Y..you're an elf! Like from Lord of the Rings!" Having just now noticed his pointed ears that had been hidden behind his rather long hair before.

D was momentarily thrown off, not to mention confused by her statement, and couldn't think of how to respond right away. Unfortunately for all of them the parasite located on his left hand who had been listening to the entire conversation jumped right in.

"HA! HA! HA! Did you hear that D? An elf! Oh that's a good one!" Before D could prevent it the parasite appeared on his hand in full sight of the girl and cackled out that D was in fact a dhampire hunter, and she should learn to distinguish the difference.

D saw her sway and swore under his breath as he leaped toward her, and easily caught her in his arms. He looked down at the girl and couldn't help the stab of hurt and anger he felt at her reaction. She was afraid of him, of what he was, and as soon as she got the opportunity she would run. He knew he couldn't leave her out here alone, otherwise a few scrapes and bruises would be the least of her worries. He should arrive at the town late in the evening tomorrow if he kept up a relatively good pace.

D carried the girl over to his horse and lifted her up into the saddle with him behind her before wrapping his arm tightly around her waist so she wouldn't fall off. "I think that went well." The parasite snickered at the unconscious girl now in D's arms. D ignored him as he nudged his horse into a steady trot. He would get her safely to the town, do his job and then continue on his way like always. She'd just get in his way, but he couldn't help the small ache when she unknowingly shifted so she nuzzled closer to his chest and let out an almost content sigh. D glanced down to his side to see Dusk happily, if not excitedly, walking along side his horse determined to keep close to his mistress. D shook his head at the whole situation silently wondering what exactly he'd gotten himself into.

Now don't hate me for her reaction but I was trying to be realistic. People there may be used to vampires, demons and stuff like that but someone from our time wouldn't and she has been through quit a lot. So stay tuned and see if they patch things up or if she makes a mad dash. Not that I could imagine any girl running away from D :P


	4. Chapter 3: Journey to the Town

Here we go with chapter 3! Disclaimer: **I don't own Vampire Hunter D.**

For the second time that day Rae woke up not knowing where she was. A sound somewhere between a growl and a snort made her turn her head to her right and she rolled her eyes when they landed on Dusk, passed out on his back. She slowly sat up and glanced around. It was dark and she had trouble seeing her surroundings, but after a few minutes she realized she was currently sitting in a small cave. She was just starting to wonder how she had gotten there, then suddenly gasped when she remembered the man who she had met earlier. How could she have possibly forgotten about him! He had looked like a character straight out of some Sci-Fi movie for God's sake! The surprise she felt at forgetting about him quickly changed to guilt when she remembered how her last encounter had ended, causing her to wince.

_'I fainted.' _Not that anyone could really blame her. The shock of learning he wasn't human had her already unsteady nerves flare back up again, and when that talking face had appeared on his hand she went into system overload. She couldn't have helped her body's reaction to all the information her brain was trying to reject as some kind of hallucination, but still felt slightly bad about it. This was amplified about ten fold when she looked down at her leg to see it bandaged up, along with her ankle, which she noted was feeling a lot better. _'He must have brought me here.'_

He may be a complete stranger, and not completely a full human, but he had helped her out and taken care of Dusk while she was passed out. The very idea of it made her pissed at herself for acting like a full out damsel in distress, not to mention she probably hurt the guy's feelings. In high school she had always hated people who judged others by just their appearance, or without getting to know them, and that's exactly what she had just done. Determined to get a grip of herself and make things right between her and the strange man she stood up to go in search of him. _'If he's even still around.' _That sudden thought had a wave of almost desperation flow over her at the possibility he had left. Without a second thought she rushed for the entrance of the cave to look for her new acquaintance.

It didn't take her long to spot his horse calmly munching on some grass a few feet from the cave entrance. Rae sighed in relief knowing the man must be around here somewhere, not being able to get far without his horse. She stepped from the cave entrance out into the cool the night air and limped over toward the large animal. Wondering how long she had been out and what time it actually was she could only guess seeing as she didn't own a watch, something she might invest in as soon as she got back home.

The horse picked up its head as she approached and calmly watched her. Seeing that her presence didn't seem to bother the animal she lifted her hand to its nose and laughed lightly when it snorted and leaned into her touch. She had always loved animals and horses were one of her favorites. When she was little she always wished she could have one, but was never able to. Rae was so caught up in fussing with the horse she didn't see his master leaning against a nearby tree, watching her with some interest that was expertly disguised as were most of his emotions.

"Well what do you know, looks like the girls actually going to stick around." D didn't make any sign that he had heard the parasite's remark but it had caused him to question his original plan. He'd have to wait and see what happened once he got her to the town. The peoples' reactions alone would probably be enough to discourage her from his company. He had been to this town once before and he hadn't exactly been greeted with open arms. The people there were as ignorant as all the others, and had made it clear he was to get what he needed and then leave as soon as possible. When he received the request from the mayor a few weeks ago to come aid them with the resent vampire problem he had considered ignoring it completely, but the threat this vampire posed was enough for him to reconsider.

D subconsciously tensed when he shifted his stance and caused a branch he hadn't noticed on the ground to snap, which had the girl's head quickly turn toward him. D saw the startled look in her eyes which had his own narrowing, then he became slightly confused when he saw it shift to outright guilt.

Rae had completely let her guard down turning her full attention to the horse, so when she heard the snap of a branch every horror movie she had ever seen flashed through her mind and she turned startled eyes in the direction expecting the worst. She nearly sighed with relief when she saw the man from earlier leaning up against a tree and figured he was the source of the noise. She saw his body tense when her eyes found his and the guilt she had felt earlier returned full force. She gave the horse one last pat on the nose before turning to fully face him and took a couple cautious steps towards him till she stood right in front of him.

They simply stared at one another for a few seconds while she tried to organize all the thoughts swimming around in her head into some kind of intelligent sentence. "I'm glad you're still here and I'm really sorry about the way I reacted to you earlier it was rude and I wanted to thank you for tending to my leg and ankle they both feel much better..." She paused when she realized she was rambling all this to the man in one breath and probably looked like an idiot. He just stood there staring at her with his almost cold eyes and emotionless face. Just when she thought he wasn't going to answer her and started to think twice about approaching him, he finally spoke.

"You're welcome, and I appreciate your apology." Rae could only stare at the man after his reply. He had a soft, deep, quiet voice but she noticed it had an edge that she imagined could cut like a knife when he was angry. She silently hoped she would never be on the receiving end of it.

As for D he couldn't remember the last time someone had actually thanked him for anything he had done, let alone apologize to him. This girl was definitely a strange one.

"So, how about you tell me what exactly I've gotten myself into this time?" Rae asked with a small smile in an attempt to get over the awkwardness she felt and lighten the mood. D was almost amused at the girl's choice of words, remembering he had thought the exact same thing a few hours earlier. He nodded at the girl and sat on the ground leaning his back up against the tree. He watched as the women hesitated a moment before walking over and taking a seat next to him and quietly waited for him to begin. (I'm not going to explain D's background in detail so if you don't know it you're going to have to look it up.)

D explained about the nuclear war and the Nobility who created a new world using magic and science. He then told her a little about himself and a few of his previous jobs, including snippets from his adventures with Doris and Leila. When he was finished he turned toward her to gage her reaction, and was slightly surprised to see her sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs, eyes wide in anticipation and biting her bottom lip. She looked like a young child being told an exciting bedtime story, staring at him completely transfixed.

Rae snapped herself back to reality, a little regrettably she noted, being so wrapped up in D's exciting stories and her head spinning with the knowledge she was now in a world of vampires, demons and magic. She loved myths and fairy tales even now at the age of 19 and D's life has been filled with them, but it has also been filled with sorrow and danger. He didn't outright state it, but she saw the different emotions register on his face when he talked about some of his encounters with both people and other creatures. Especially when he mentioned his most resent concerning two young women, who she guessed he had been somewhat close too. She also noted that though he told her of some adventures he didn't mention his family or past at all, and she got the feeling he didn't really want to talk about it, so she didn't push. It wasn't really any of her business anyway.

With a slightly unsteady sigh she did her best to accept all she had just been told as true. The logical part of her brain wanted to dismiss it all as rubbish, but that was kind of hard to do when she was sitting next to a man who was as good as any proof anyone could have offered her. So, to sum it all up she was some thousand years into the future that is now divided up between vampires, humans, and a few other creatures she probably didn't know of yet, with no way of getting home…..what the hell was she supposed to do!

D saw the uneasiness plane on her face as these thoughts raced through her mind and all kinds of emotions raced through her body. He calmly suggested she tell him exactly what had happened to her before she arrived in his world. With a slight nod Rae began her tale of what had started off as a normal day, then suddenly took a very different turn.

By the end of her story they both just sat in silence trying to decipher what they've both been told. D was skeptical at first, but her story did fit with the events he had witnessed earlier and he couldn't see any signs that she was lying to him. Plus, as he studied her he could see the lost look on her face as though she had no idea what to do next. There was one part of her story that immediately had gotten his attention, the necklace. When she was describing the events by the river D had gotten the strangest feeling, like a past memory that was struggling to resurface. When she told him of the necklace he could picture it so clearly it was as if he had seen it with his own eyes. D shook that thought from his head realizing if this girl was telling the truth, that was impossible.

"Where is the necklace?" Rae had been so lost in thought she jumped slightly at his voice, then became confused as she processed his question. _'Where was the necklace?'_ Her hand automatically flew to her neck, but that wasn't right, it had been clasped in her hand when the light had surrounded her. So where the hell was it now! "I don't know." She replied meekly realizing that if the necklace was how she had gotten to D's world in the first place, it was probably her only way back home. "Damn it." She cursed aloud as she put a hand to her forehead and tried not to start panicking once more, loosing what little bit of her sense he still had wasn't going to help either of them.

"We will head for the town in the morning." Rae looked up at D who was looking straight ahead as he began to speak, hoping he had some sort of plan. She felt bad burdening him with her situation, but at this point she was at a complete loss. "Once we get there I'll help you try and figure out a way home, if I can." When she realized he was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye she slowly nodded her head to show she understood and agreed thankful he was there. She had no idea what she would have done without his help.

"Ha! Good luck with that." D seriously considered if he needed his left hand to function at times, the idea of just hacking it off very tempting. He was about to smother it in the dirt for a while when the girl grabbed a hold of it by the wrist so she was facing the parasite. D couldn't help but go rigid at the contact but the girl didn't seem to notice.

"What do you mean?" She asked the creature she now new was a parasite D got bestowed on his left hand a long time ago. "The only ones with any chance of sending you back home to your own time period are the Nobility, whom there are not many of left around these days. Not to mention they're not very eager to jump at the chance of helping a mere human women, or anyone else for that matter." Rae gave the parasite an annoyed glance before muttering a "gee thanks" and releasing D's wrist from her grasp. She sat back down on the ground feeling more anxious then before.

She and D both turned their attention to the mouth of the cave when Dusk trotted out looking around, and once he spotted them trotted over. Rae smiled and laughed when he laid down with his head on her lap and licked her hand. D watched the girl as she stroked the dogs head causing him to fall into a peaceful sleep. He had no idea what had caused him to offer to help her find her way back home. He had a job to do in the town, and having her with him would only distract him, not to mention put the girl in even more danger than she was now. Not just with the vampire count, but the towns people as well. As far as they were concerned vampires were their enemy, and anyone who aided them or felt sympathy towards them were just as guilty.

"You should get some sleep, we're leaving early in the morning." Rae just let out a snort at the suggestion and continued to lightly stroke Dusk's head. "Fat chance of that, I have a hard time falling asleep when I have a lot on my mind. What about you, not tired?" "I'm used to it." Was the vampire hunter's simple reply and it had Rae smiling slightly. "So am I." D didn't say anything after that and they just sat there in silence, both thinking about what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Rae turned over slowly opening her eyes and groaned as a harsh light hit them. She sat up with a curse and shielded her eyes as she looked around. Her mind was hazy and her surroundings confused her for a moment before she remembered where she was and what had happened the day before. _'Wonder when I'm going to get used to this?' _She stretched and yawned before standing up, bracing herself against the tree. _'Looks like I feel asleep after all.'_

It didn't take long before she spotted D standing by his horse looking at her with Dusk at his feet. "We should get moving." Rae stood where she was and blinked at him still not fully awake. "How long have you been up for?" She asked curiously as she attempted to run her fingers through her hair and winced when she hit a not. "A little after dawn." Giving up on trying to comb out her hair she gave the man an almost annoyed look. "Well than why didn't you wake me up earlier?" The last thing she wanted to do was hold him up on whatever it was he was supposed to be doing in the town they were both now heading to. "I tried, and you growled at me." Rae blushed at his statement, she had never been a morning person. "Oh."

She watched as D climbed up onto the saddle and after a moment, reached out a hand for her. "We're riding to the town?" Rae asked excitedly. The last time she was on a horse was when her cousin owned them nearly seven years ago, but she had absolutely loved horseback riding. "No, we're going to walk. The horse is just for decoration." Rae glared at D's left hand even though she couldn't see the parasite, she imagined he was snickering at her. She turned her attention to D who still had his hand out towards her.

"Could I ride in front and take the reins?" Rae may have been overstepping her bounds and she really didn't want to annoy D in any way, but where was the harm in asking? D stared at the girl for a moment, considering. What harm could she do as long as he was there to take control? Just when she thought he was going to say no D removed his feet from the stirrups and moved back on the saddle. "Sweet!" Without hesitating before the man changed his mind Rae reached up, grabbed the horn and slipped her foot into the stirrup successfully hoisting herself up. She than swung her leg over cautiously so she didn't nail D. "Why are you letting her ride? She has no idea where we're going!" "Will you chill out. D can point me in the right direction. Now how do I do this again?" She muttered the last part under her breath as she tried to recall all the proper ways to work the reigns in order to get the horse to do as she wished. "Do you have any idea how to even ride a horse?" Releasing a calming breath Rae fought the urge to snap at the parasite. It was really starting to get under her skin, she honestly didn't know how D put up with it. "I used to when I was like 12." Was her calm reply as she shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "You have got to be kidding." "So I'm a little rusty. How hard can it be? Have a little faith."

D was considering taking control again when Rae squeezed the horse's sides with her legs a little to hard. The horse suddenly reared up which had D automatically locking his arms around Rae's waist, as the animal took off at a full gallop. Rae gave out an excited "whoop!" and looked to see Dusk running along beside them. "Why do you always have to find the crazy ones!" D didn't respond to the parasite, instead concentrating on the sound of the girl's excited laughter. _'This is going to be trouble.' _D thought cautiously to himself even as his arms tightened around her waist.


	5. Chapter 4: Friend or Foe?

Hey all! I just want to say thanks to everyone who has red my story so far and reviewed. They have been very supportive and helpful. I'm glad you guys like the story.

Rae and D rode in silence as the horse moved at a steady trot. He had let her keep up the gallop for a little while, but than had her slow down so the horse and Dusk didn't get to tired. When they had gotten into a steady rhythm he had immediately removed his arms, opting not to touch her. Rae had tried striking up a conversation with D on more than one occasion but he usually didn't respond, and when he did, his statements were very short. Seeing as trying to get him to talk was like pulling teeth, meaning a slow and painful process, she decided that it was a lost cause and started surveying their surroundings. The farther they had traveled the more the land had changed. Instead of desert the area was becoming consistently more green. _'Wonder when we're going to get to the town?' _Rae dazed off into her own thoughts as the sun rose higher in the sky. They rode for about another hour and came to a huge hill. "There's a forest on the other side of that hill. We have to go through it." "Yea? Cool." Rae was anxious for some change in scenery and there was nothing better to her than woods. She had grown up in the forest by her house and loved hanging out in there when she wanted to be alone.

Once they reached the top Rae gasped at the beauty of it. The forest was vast and thick. It looked as if it had stood there for all of time, never touched or disturbed by humans. The forest seemed to speak of power and magic and Rae found herself transfixed. D wasn't as excited to lay eyes on the familiar forest. He new the beauty of the forest, but he also new the dangers it hid deep within its heart, where the sun didn't reach and the darkness laid in wait. The town was located on the other side and he estimated they should be able to reach it by dusk, as long as they didn't run into any trouble.

"Have you been here before?" "Once." Though nothing registered on his face Rae caught the slight change in his voice. It didn't sound like it had been a good experience. "I'm going to take the reins now." With a nod Rae slid off the saddle and winced at how sore her thighs were. Once D was positioned she hopped up behind him after checking to make sure Dusk was holding up. D nudged the horse forward and entered into the forest keeping his vampric senses alert. Rae looked around at everything, pointing things out to D and asking him questions about things she didn't know. He would make noises of acknowledgment every now and than but for the most part seemed to ignore her. After looking at him and seeing his eyes trained on the path they were following she decided it might be best not to bother him, and just slumped down in the saddle occasionally glancing around. D noticed the girl's defeated looking posture and tried his best to ignore it. If he didn't keep his attention focused on their surroundings something could end up sneaking up on them, and he for one never liked surprises.

They hadn't been traveling for to long when Dusk suddenly started barking and wagging his tail enthusiastically. Before Rae could attempt to calm him down he was off like a bullet. "Hey Dusk!" "It's just the water." Turning confused eyes towards D she glanced around them and listened for the distinct sound of running water, but couldn't see or hear anything. "What water?" D kicked his horse to go a bit faster and before long found himself in front of a large river. Rae spotted Dusk as he gulped down water and swam around looking for some wildlife he could torment. "How did you know?" Rae asked as she glanced at D. "My senses are more enhanced than humans." After considering it for a few seconds Rae nodded at his statement remembering reading about vampires a lot when she was in high school. There were so many different myths surrounding them on their strengths and weaknesses and different powers they were said to posses that she didn't know which ones were real.

She slid off the horse and ran after Dusk who had found a stick and was happily chewing on it. D watched her till she reached the bank before leading the horse to the water. Even if the animal was a cyborg he still needed the basics to survive.

"That girl is odd. Figures you're the one to find her." D glanced toward the girl as she threw the stick into the water and had Dusk splashing in after it. She was definitely a mystery to him. The way she reacted to him and just seemed to accept everything he told her as though it made perfect sense. Nobody accepted him, let alone went out of their way to try and understand him. He was a stranger and yet she was comfortable and open around him. D was determined to remain distant from the girl, or it could prove dangerous for the both of them.

"Don't you even think about it!" Rae was addressing a dripping wet Dusk who had the stick hanging from his mouth and was no more than 3 feet in front of her. "I'm warning you!" D didn't understand what she was talking about until Dusk dropped the stick and began to shake, sending water flying in every direction. Rae let out a shriek as she was sprayed and did her best to shield herself. Once Dusk was finished soaking her he plopped himself on the ground and rolled around on his back. "Damn you to hell!" Dusk just glanced at her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth while wagging his tail. "I hate you." Rae stated as she swatted at the dog's paws than turned and started to walk towards D. He watched her approach than turned his attention back to the horse who was happily grazing on the tall grass that grew along the bank of the river. He was about to suggest they keep going when he suddenly became still.

Rae stopped a few feet behind D when she saw him suddenly freeze. She was about to ask what was wrong but the question died in her throat, and her eyes grew wide. She hadn't even seen D reach for his sword, or turn around, but she now found herself staring at the tip of it which was no more than a foot from her throat. It happened so fast her brain didn't even have time to register the situation. Rae looked from the sword to D in complete bafflement. His face was like marble and his eyes were shielded by the rim of his hat so she had no way of figuring out what he may be thinking. She felt her body start to shake as she tried to figure out what she had done to make him turn on her like this. _'Stupid!' _Her mind shouted at her as it scolded her for being so trusting. How was she going to get herself out of this mess? Simple, all she had to do was stay calm and think logically.

_Okay, so the guy is about a foot taller than me, a hell of a lot stronger, half vampire and has a sword...I can take him.' _It seemed even her logic was thrown off by the sudden turn of events. She considered calling for Dusk but would never forgive herself if the dog got seriously injured trying to protect her. She was officially screwed.

"Get behind me." Rae just stared at him completely confused. "What?" Before D could repeat the command the sound of roaring water filled both their ears. Rae caught sight of the water coming at them out of the corner of her eye. She was about to let out a scream but D grabbed her arm and flung both of them out of its path. They landed a few feet away and Rae found herself in D's arms with her mind foggy and head spinning. _'What the hell just happened?'_

"Are you all right?" Rae managed to glare up at D with a 'what the hell do you think' look before a voice spoke from some where close. "Well well, what has managed to stumble across my river this time?" Rae and D both turned their attention toward the river and spotted what seemed to be a young man sitting on a rock in the middle of it with his feet leisurely dangling into the water. One glance at him had them both determining he wasn't human. He had shoulder length lime green hair, blue tinted skin, pointed ears and bright golden eyes. He appeared to be no more than 5'5 and looked to be a cross between some kind of a nymph and an elf. "Ah, you I recognize." The creature lay a steady and sly gaze on D as his eyes seemed to brighten even more. "You're the dunpeal hunter. Correct?" Rae shifted her eyes from the young man to D. "You know him?" Her voice was almost hopeful, if the creature was a friend of D's that meant they shouldn't be in any danger, though D didn't look thrilled to see him in any way. Not to mention being held in D's arms Rae could feel how tense he was, as if prepared to dive out of the way of another jet of water at any second.

"No, he doesn't, but I know of him by reputation." The creature replied as he slowly twisted a small strand of his hair playfully around his finger. "Almost every demon, vampire and many other creatures know of him. A force to be reckoned with if I've heard correctly." Both the creature and Rae waited for D to reply, but he remained silent and just eyed the creature closely. "What? No comment? Hmmm not a big talker I suppose, and you. What kind of creature are you?" Rae realized he was addressing her and gave him a confused and weary glance. After looking her over for a few seconds he released the strand of hair and the expression on his face mirrored hers. "But you're just a human. Now, why is a dunpeal hunter traveling through these woods with a human?"

"That's none of your concern." The sly, almost playful grin that had adorned the creatures face was quickly replaced by a dark sneer. "I wouldn't speak to me that way if I were you hunter. Anything that enters this forest I consider my business. I have control over almost every thing you see before you, so I suggest watching your tongue." D's eyes narrowed and Rae automatically tensed at the dark look on both the two beings faces. She almost sighed with relief when the playful grin returned to the young man's face. "Made you mad have I? How fun." His grin grew about two times bigger and he got a mischievous look to his eyes as he continued staring at D. "I bet I know why you're here. Oh yes, you're here about the vampire count that has been causing havoc among the villagers, am I right?" "You know of him?" "I hear many things hunter, and yes I've heard of him. Not to mention his disgusting beasts trample through here all the time, once it gets dark, doing his bidding I suppose." He flicked his wrist casually in an almost dismissive gesture.

_'He's a weird one.' _Rae cringed as his gaze once again found hers, and for a second, she feared he had heard her thought.

"You haven't answered my question as to why the human is here. Surely you know she won't last long in this forest, or the town for that matter with the count out and about." "I appreciate your concern but I can take care of myself." The sentence was out of her mouth before Rae even thought about it. _'This is no time to be a smart mouth!' _Her mind franticly scolded her as she bit the inside of her cheek and waited for his reaction. Surprisingly he didn't seem to be offended by her statement, but his face took on a serious expression that didn't seem to suit the enchanting creature. "Arrogant and insolent just like the rest of the humans who pass through here." Though he said it harshly he slid his gaze over her and a thoughtful look crossed his eyes. "Maybe I was wrong before. You seem different from the others, but how, I can't seem to decide."

Rae didn't know how to respond and was saved from his evaluating stare when D made a movement away from her and toward his horse. Rae and the creature watched as he seized the horse's reigns and led him over toward Rae. "We need to keep moving." He shifted his placid gaze to the creature so their eyes locked. "Will you let us pass?" Rae turned her own eyes to the young man as well waiting for his response. _'What if he didn't?'_ "Asking my permission are you? How thoughtful."

"Is there any way you could help us through the forest so we can reach the town before dusk?" He lay amused eyes on Rae and smiled in a way that had goose bumps running up her arms. "Why should I?" The question was asked so childishly Rae felt her temper begin to surface, and she tended to make stupid decisions when it did. "Well seeing as that jet of water you sent flying at us nearly decapitated us it would be a nice gesture!" And suddenly she shot the creature a sly and taunting look of her own. "Unless of course all your talk before was nothing but a load of bull and you simply don't have the power to." It was a challenge and all three of them knew it. _'I am so going to die for this!' _Though in her head she was freaking out she did her best to remain calm on the outside, the fact that D was still close to her made her feel a bit better, she just hoped he wasn't pissed at her for probably just making a bad situation worse.

Both D and herself were surprised when the creature actually started laughing. He stood up from his sitting position on the rock and regarded them both. "You both amuse me, very much so. Yes, I shall let you pass." Rae just stared at him completely dumbfounded. _'Is he serious?'_ "Let's go." Rae looked up with shock to see D already atop his horse and waiting for her to climb on. Dusk, who had been watching this whole scene from a safe distance was by the horse's side. "Uh, right." Rae climbed up behind D, and once she was situated he turned the horse around and started down the bank. "And where do you think you're going?" D halted the horse and slowly slid his gaze back to the creature who was standing in exactly the same spot. Rae turned in the saddle to look at him also. _'Don't tell me he's changed his mind.'_ He turned so he was facing the opposite bank and waved his arm. Rae watched in amazement as a long stream of water rose up from the river and hovered a few feet above it. The water started to shift and seemed to be forming something. Rae smiled at the sudden realization that it was forming itself into a bridge that stretched completely across the river. "I'm granting the lady's request as well. Can't have a human going around spreading rumors that there's nothing in this forest to fear. I do have an image to keep you know. Once you get to the other side of the river there will be a path, follow it, and you shall get through the woods in about an hours time."

"Why?" The simple question had the creature grinning at D in an almost malicious way.

"Because hunter, you're going to need all the help you can get. Let's see if you're as good as they say, for your sake, I hope you're better." With a last laugh the being became completely surrounded by a whirl of water, and when it feel away, the rock was empty.

They stood still just staring at the spot where the creature had been only a few seconds earlier. _'That was the most fucked up thing I have ever experienced in my life.' _

"Does this kind of thing happen to you a lot?" D continued staring at the rock for a few seconds before nudging the horse towards the bridge. Rae held her breath as they took the first step onto it thinking for certain they would pass right through, but gazed in amazement as the horse began to walk across. Once they reached the opposite bank and again found themselves on solid ground Rae glanced behind her to see the water that had formed the bridge slowly fall back into the river like rain. Looking at it now it seemed like an ordinary river once again and no one ever would have known what secrets it holds. True to his word they found a path in front of them that seemed to lead into the heart of the forest. Rae gave it an uneasy glance but didn't say anything as D nudged his horse onto it and they began to follow the path they both hoped would lead them out of the forest, and closer to their destination.

* * *

It was a large and beautiful courtyard. There were paths that weaved between extravagant gardens and flourishing trees. They all led up to one point, which was a small pond in the middle of the courtyard that was surrounded by large rocks. A women no older than 26 sat on one of those rocks and stared at the pond. It would have made a nice picture to any one who saw it from afar, but if you looked closely you could see that her eyes were blank, as if she were in a trance. She waited there unmoving and silent until the water started to ripple. The young girl stood up from her seat on the rock and backed a few feet away from the small pond. Her dead eyes stared straight ahead as the water began to rise and twist. An amused laugh started to fill the once silent area and a figure appeared out of the water and happily took a seat on the rock the women had previously occupied. His golden eyes sparkled as he stared at the women. "I have a message for Bane concerning the dunpeal." The women didn't show any sign she had heard the man except for a slight nod. "Tell him that he is indeed headed for Rowan. He also has a human girl with him, it may be nothing, but there was some thing about her that may be worth mentioning."

Realizing he had said all he was going to the women turned from him and went back toward the castle that the court yard was connected to. The figure swept his gaze back to the castle as well, and stared at it for a little while. 'So, Bane thinks he can take on the vampire hunter does he? Well we will see shortly if he has the power to do what no other has been able to. Kill the famous dunpeal hunter.' The figure grinned and vanished, leaving the court yard in silence once again.

Well that's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.


	6. Chapter 5: Welcome to Rowan

Hey! I'm soooo sorry this is so late but for some reason my computer won't let me post on so I have to use other peoples' computers to update. It's going to be hard for me to post till I can figure out how to fix it. So hang in there! As always, thanks to all who took the time to read and review my story! I'm glad u like it so far.

Just when she was starting to think they had been wrong to trust the strange creature they had encountered not long ago, Rae soon found herself overlooking a small town from high on a cliff. She sighed in relief when she realized they had made it through the forest with no further problems, and had managed to reach the town well before dark. Looking towards D expecting him to feel the same way, she frowned when she found him gazing at the town with an almost haunted look. He than glanced back at the forest and the look seemed to grow darker. Rae silently wondered what he was thinking, but refrained from asking suspecting he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of a reply anyway.

D wasn't exactly happy to see the familiar little town tucked away in the valley. He could remember it perfectly, even though it had been years since he had walked its streets They had been lined with little houses and a few small stores that sold supplies. He could even remember the faces of the people as they glanced nervously out their windows, or quickened their step when they found themselves crossing his path. Sure, there had been a lot of other encounters with towns people that had been much more hostile, more violent, but that didn't stop the little voice in the back of his mind that seemed to automatically whisper a warning of caution. D found his attention shifted away from the town as he glanced behind him at the forest. It seemed to loom over him more threateningly now than when he was actually encased inside it. Something was wrong.

It wasn't a hunch and it wasn't a feeling. No, this was a fact. Nobody just let him go. Nobody just ruffled his feathers than laughed and sent him on his way with a casual flick of the wrist. Anybody else would have been grateful. Anybody else would have patted themselves on the back and considered it a deadly situation that had been narrowly escaped. But D wasn't anybody, and he found himself feeling as though he had made it through the thunderstorm, with the heavy wind and rain and darkness, only to come face to face with the wrath of the hurricane. He was caught in its path and it was moving toward him fast and ferocious. He could either turn around now and try to outrun it while it was still off in the distance, or he could stand his ground and face it head on.

"D?" The sound of her voice was soft, almost timid, but at the same time strong and insistent. It had him retreating from his mind and instead, focusing on what it was saying.

"Are you okay?" His eyes flashed to hers clear and aware. She couldn't stop the flinch at the sudden sharpness, where only a few moments ago there had been a foggy cloud that was brought on by a mind troubled with thought. She started to fidget under his intense stare as he seemed to be considering and sizing her up at the same time. Why did she have the sudden feeling of being back in high school, and a teacher was about to give a quiz he knew she hadn't studied for?

"What?" She mentally kicked herself, she hadn't meant for it to sound defensive. But damn it what the hell did he expect! She wasn't surprised when he merely turned his eyes forward and started for the town without a word. _'Damn you!' _She entertained herself during the ride down the cliff by seeing if it really was possible to burn a hole through someone with a glare, she didn't think so, but she was going to give it her best shot. Half way down she decided if he hadn't burst into flames by now he wasn't going to, not to mention her eyes were getting sore. When they finally reached the bottom of the cliff and started traveling on a dirt road, literally, that led into the town she felt her anticipation growing. She could only wonder what humans were like in this place after having met D and hearing his stories.

When they reached the entrance to the town D stopped his horse and sat placidly in the saddle. Rae just waited for him to do whatever he was going to do with her arms crossed in absolute silence. He continued to just sit there and Rae was starting to think he was having second thoughts about going into the town at all. Finally he spoke. "Stay close." That got her attention. "Why?" When he did not respond she just let out a huff of breath. "Fine." At her agreement D proceeded to ride into the town and immediately Rae was taking in everything she could. The buildings were small and looked to be slightly run down, whether by neglect or the elements she didn't know. The road was nothing more than a bare strip that had been worn down due to frequent travel, or at least that was her guess. Happy to see that along it were patches of grass and some small wild flowers that surrounded some of the houses as well she thought she just may like their stay in this place.

As they rode farther into the town something she hadn't noticed before suddenly clicked and Rae looked around in confusion for a few more minutes. There was no sound, none whatsoever. Not of people talking or laughing or of animals. Not of children running through the streets with dogs chasing after them while their mothers chatted with each other and watched them at the same time while doing little chores in the way only mothers can. There was nobody on the streets or in the yards. It was like a ghost town.

_'Where is everyone?' _Her silent question was soon answered once they reached the center of the town. The main road branched off into two separate roads, and a large house sat on a slight hill in the center of the fork. The house was impressive, but Rae was more interested in the mob of people standing at the end of the main road. D stopped the horse a little more than thirty feet from them and allowed Rae to get a better look. She could see one person in the middle where the two roads split and all the others fanned out at his sides, forming sort of a horse shoe. As she studied the towns people her curiosity turned to weariness. They were all staring intently at D. That wasn't what set her on edge, she herself had been entranced by him just a day ago, hell who wouldn't? No, that wasn't what worried her, it was the _way_ they were staring at him. Not with curiosity or surprise but with outright guardedness and anger. She new violence in a person's eyes when she saw it, and that was all that seemed to be staring back at her. Her gaze was drawn to a sudden glint and her eyes narrowed, than widened when she realized what had caused it. They were all armed and she instantly found herself go completely rigid.

D had felt it to and was instantly on guard. He had been expecting a scene such as this but the girl was obviously scared, and fear made people rash. "Stay behind me." His voice barely registered in her mind as she continued to stare at the towns people. She felt the saddle shift and automatically reached out for D to try and steady herself, but her hands just grabbed at air. She could only blink in mild confusion before she realized he wasn't in the saddle anymore and had dismounted. When he started walking toward the center of the group of people she hastily reached out for him and called softly, yet sharply to him. "D don't!" He didn't even pause.

"Stay." The command had been soft and almost careless, but it was a command none the less. What the hell was she, a dog? If she wasn't so damn scared these people were going to shoot him she may have snarled. Rae could only watch as he reached the center of the half circle and got within fifteen feet of them. When they drew their guns from their sides and aimed at him she felt her whole body freeze and swore her heart stopped. An onlooker could have sworn time had completely come to a halt within the town. Nobody moved or made a sound for what seemed like hours. Finally, the man that had been standing in the center of the crescent started to step forward and walk towards D who now stood in the middle of the crowed like a statue. Rae was startled when she heard a growl at her side and realized it was Dusk. He was gazing intently at the scene with his ears back and the growl steadily becoming more threatening as the man came closer. It was enough to jolt her into action and she was out of the saddle before she could think about it. She pulled the horse forward a few feet before halting him.

"You stay here. The both of you." She gave Dusk a stern glance before turning around and hastily walking towards D while trying to ignore the guns that were now pointed at her as well. She slowed a bit as she got closer to D and his voice stopped her in her tracks. "I told you, to stay." She felt the temper rise up in her before she could clamp down on it and it caused her to send him a heated look as she closed the distance between them. "Guess I should have warned you I flunked out of obedience school. Maybe next time you should try offering me a damn cookie." She new he was annoyed with her but couldn't seem to find the will to care. There was only so much she could take and Rae found a good deal of satisfaction when he slanted her a look out of the corner of his eye due to her comment and the tone she had used. Both their attention was redirected to the man who was once again walking toward them.

He had paused when he had caught sight of the young women hastily walking toward the half breed and studied her briefly. From what he could tell she seemed human, so why was she with the hunter? His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he continued to approach the unwanted guests. He paused a few feet from D and they just stared at one another. Rae's gaze flicked nervously between them, once again finding herself caught in the middle of a face off. With any luck she would be able to talk her sorry ass out of another dangerous situation. She was also keeping a close eye on the towns people who now completely surrounded them, her only comfort was the fact that the young man before her was obviously a part of the mob. Hopefully the towns people wouldn't fire at D with him standing so close.

Studying the man before her Rae guessed he was probably no older than late twenties, and though she would never admit it aloud, was rather good looking. He had light brown hair, smoky grey eyes, a slim but toned build and was a little taller than herself.

From what D had told her it had sounded like these people had asked him to come, but the look this man was giving the both of them made it seem like they were invading on enemy territory. The man suddenly came to a stop and simply glowered at them. "So, your the famous vampire hunter everyone talks about huh?" Once again D didn't react to being questioned and Rae noticed the young man didn't take well to being ignored. Considering the fact that everyone felt threatened by D for some reason Rae figured she could at least try talking some sense into the group of idiots before someone ended up seriously hurt. Taking a few steps forward she focused her attention on who she assumed to be the 'leader' of the group and tried to keep her voice as calm and friendly as possible. "I don't know what you have against D but I can assure you…"

"They all say your the best. We'll I think you can't be trusted! You may be a half breed but your no different than the full blooded beasts that roam around these lands and your not welcome here!" Rae simply blinked when she was completely ignored and the man started to rant at D who had done absolutely nothing to provoke any of this. Becoming increasingly fed up with the way these people were acting Rae said the hell with the polite route and decided to be a bit more firm. "Now you see here….!" She began in a disapproving voice like a mother may use to scold a child. Suddenly a hand shot forward and closed like a vise around her wrist and before she could even shout out a protest she was yanked towards the grey eyed man. "Hey! What the hell do you think your..?"

"Your a human, are you not?" Rae tried to pull her wrist free but the man's hold was too strong, so she settled on giving him a vicious look instead. "Yea I'm a human you idiot, now let me go!" He just ignored her as she once again began to struggle to set herself free from his grasp. "If your a human than why are you in the company of the hunter? Did he kidnap you? Force you to accompany him? Has he bitten you?" He reached out a hand as if to brush away her hair and Rae entertained the idea of biting him, but instead just slapped his hand away with her free one. "No he didn't kidnap me you moron! He's helping me find my way home!"

"So he says. You stupid girl don't you realize he could kill you? Suck you dry without a thought!" He grasped her by the shoulders and gave her a good shake before she was able to wrench free and step as far away from him as she could, but his hand still held hold of her wrist. "His kind have no feelings! Life is meaningless to them as long as they get what they need to survive!"

_'This guys a nut case!' _Rae was starting to get really nervous as he refused to relinquish his hold on her and she turned around to try and locate D. She could have swore at him when she saw him in the exact same spot not looking as if he were moving any time soon. Sure as hell not coming to her rescue! _'So I've always scoffed at the damsel in distress thing, but damn it! You'd think he would help me get away from this loon!' _Rae was beyond pissed and way beyond a civil negotiation so she decided there was only one way to handle this now…and that would be violence.

"Uh! Damn it I said get your hand off me!" Rae had all she could take of this situation and if this guy wasn't going to let her go on his own, she was going to make him. She clenched her hand into a fist, took aim and was just about to plant one on his jaw when... "Brett Thompson!" Rae turned just in time to see a women stalking toward them, and before the man turned fully around to face her a rather large wooden spoon connected with the back of his head. "OW! Damn it Darcy! I told all the women and children to stay inside! What the hell do you think your doing!" Rae studied the women that was glaring at the young man with her hands on her hips like a mother reprimanding a stubborn child, and decided this woman was her hero. She had long black hair that was striped with grey and sharp green eyes. Rae guessed she was in her mid forties and could only hope she looked that good twenty years from now.

A sudden movement had her glancing down towards the women's legs and Rae barely caught the dark hair and pair of brown eyes that had been watching the exciting scene unfold before seeking safety behind her skirt. It didn't take Rae long to realize it must be the women's child and didn't blame him for seeking shelter behind his mother. The situation was scaring her let alone a young kid. "Saving you from making an even bigger ass out of yourself than you already have. You know perfectly well your father called that man to help us and you and the rest of these idiots are not doing anyone any good by giving him a hard time! We can't get rid of the Count on our own and like it or not he's our last hope!" "He's one of them Darcy! I'm telling you he can't be trusted! You of all people should be behind me on this!" The women's eyes became very dark and had the young man's strong appearance faltering.

"I'll only tell you once more to leave the man alone or so help me I'll knock you unconscious, drag you back to the Inn and lock you in the cellar till this thing has been resolved." They stared each other down for a little while longer before the man let out a sound of fury and let go of Rae's wrist. They all watched as he pushed himself through the crowd of people and seemed to head for the large house. Darcy watched till he was out of sight before turning back to the rest of the towns people. "Well? Shows over! I suggest you all get back to your business before the Mayor finds out about this little stunt you pulled! Now!" Reluctantly they withdrew back to their homes now that their leader was gone, not to mention everyone new there would be hell to pay to go against Darcy Ross. Once she was sure everyone was returning back to their homes and the crisis was over for the moment, Darcy turned her attention toward the two newcomers. Rae stood still and massaged her wrist as she watched the people walk away from the scene and return to their lives.

"I know who he is, mind telling me who you are?" Rae faced the women who was eyeing her up questioningly. "Rae. My name's Rae. I'm just a tag along D's trying to help me find my way home. I got a little turned around." She felt D walk up behind her and turned to him with a glare. "Well thanks for all your help! That nut practically broke my wrist!" He didn't say anything but spared her wrist a quick glance. He obviously didn't think it was a serious matter because he did nothing to inspect it further. "You wouldn't be so quick to condemn Brett for his reaction if you new what has been going on in this town the last few years because of that Count." Rae focused her attention back on the women and the look she gave her made her feel a little guilty.

"I admit the way he handled it was out of line but his reasons behind it were just. I should know better than anyone." Darcy turned her attention from Rae and focused it on D. "Your welcome to stay at my Inn while you're here, and I'll make it free of charge. Don't argue with me." She sent D a stern look and had his protest stopping before he was able to utter it. "If you manage to get rid of the vampire you would be doing us a job which we couldn't possibly ever repay you for, and if you fail just consider it an apology for your welcoming party." She studied D for a few seconds before turning around and clasping her son's hand in her own. She began walking in what Rae assumed to be the direction of her Inn, but paused in mid stride. "Do not make me regret speaking out on your behalf hunter." She didn't even bother looking back and continued on her way while her son curiously glanced from his mother to D. Rae watched her go for a few seconds than let out a little yelp as she felt something nudge her shoulder. She quickly glanced behind her and let out a sigh when she saw it was only D's horse. "Sorry, forgot about you guys." She reached up to pat the horse on the nose but stopped as D grabbed for the reigns. He began leading the horse in the direction Darcy had gone and Rae simply watched after him. She guessed he was mad at her for not listening to him and let out another sigh before starting after him with Dusk licking at her hand.

It didn't take long to reach the Inn and Rae noticed it was pretty nice compared to most of the structures that surrounded it. Darcy and D were standing out front seeming to be in the middle of a conversation. Rae couldn't tell what they were saying from where she currently was but could start making it out as she got closer. "...and you can put the horse in the barn out back. I'll send my son out with water and food." "Thank you." Darcy just nodded to him as he proceeded to lead the horse around to the back of the Inn. When he was out of sight she turned to face Rae.

"Well, I suppose we should set you up with a room. Follow me." Rae followed her inside and let her eyes roam around her new surroundings. It wasn't huge, but not too small either. The place seemed homey. She noticed the downstairs seemed to be a bar/restaurant. There was a small bar with a long table and stools as well as smaller tables with chairs that were scattered throughout the room where she assumed people could just sit and eat. There was a small hallway behind the bar that she guessed led to a kitchen area of some sort. She saw that there were people sitting at the bar as well as some of the tables and her eyes widened a bit when she recognized some of the men from earlier. There were a few women with some of them and Rae guessed they had returned to their homes and families, but not quite ready to let D out of their sight, just dragged them along where they could keep their eyes on him. Darcy must have noticed her reaction because she put an arm around her shoulders and addressed her costumers. "This girl and her friend are going to be staying here in my Inn. Anybody who has a problem with that can get the hell out now." She surveyed the room and nodded when it seemed nobody was going to move. "Well than, I'll take that as a promise you all are willing to play nice. Cause any trouble and you'll be out on your ass." Rae had no question that this women would act on her threat and the other people in the Inn seemed to share her assumption, for they turned their eyes away from her and went back to their business.

"Now that that's taken care of." Darcy moved away from Rae and went over behind the bar, opened a draw and drew out a key than paused and looked up at Rae. "Will you be needing one room or two?" Rae just stared at her slightly confused before gripping her question and blushing. "Uh two." Darcy just studied her before grinning. "Are you sure? Cause I can conveniently be out of any other rooms besides this one." Darcy's grin got even bigger as she waved the key in front of Rae who just shook her head finding that she had lost the ability to speak as she stared at Darcy in embarrassed shock. "Shame. He's a looker huh?" Darcy winked at her causing Rae's blush to go from a slight pink to an all out crimson. Like it wasn't enough that she now resembled a tomato but D had to chose that exact moment to come walking through the Inn's doors. Both women glanced up, and as if confirming their resent discussion, slowly skimmed their eyes down his entire form than looked back up to meet his steady gaze. _'Ugh! Why do I have to get myself into these situations! And why does she have to be right?'_ Going on the pure desire to flee the scene Rae quickly ran up to Darcy and snatched the key from her hand, squeaking out a quick thanks, before running up the stairs to find her room.

Darcy and D watched the girl till she sped around the corner at the top of the stairs and was out of sight. "Hmm. Well she's a strange girl." She turned to look at D who was still looking toward the stairs. She grinned slyly before turning her attention once more to the drawer and producing another key. "Here you go. If you need anything just hunt me down and I'll see what I can do." D nodded towards her and took the key from her hand before slowly climbing the stairs Rae had dashed up only seconds before. Darcy watched him go with the grin still plastered on her face before she shifted her attention when her son suddenly hopped up on a bar stool in front of her. "Mama is that man going to get rid of the vampire?" She smiled at her young son and reached out to brush his hair out of his eyes. "We can only hope so." "Who's the lady with him?" "Not sure. A friend I suppose." "If he's going to help us why were the towns people so mean to him?" "It's complicated." Her son sent her an annoyed look. "You always say that when you think I'm to young to know." Darcy smiled. Her son was indeed young, but he had a sharp mind. She liked to think he inherited it from her. "Do me a favor and go tend to the man's horse will you?" "Your just changing the subject." "And your being nosy." She reached out and flicked him on his nose and smiled as he seemed to glare at her, but with a huff went to do as he was told. She watched him till he had bolted out the door and the smile left her face.

_'Please, please let him be able to help us. I can't bare to lose anyone else.' _

She was brought back from her thoughts at the sound of her name being called out by an annoyed voice. "Darcy! How about you stop daydreaming and get me a drink! I'm dying of thirst over here!" She turned toward the man with a glare. "Talk to me like that again and you'll be dying of something far worse!" The man seemed to shrink back as Darcy took her usual place behind the bar.

* * *

Rae threw herself onto the bed and snuggled into the pillow with a content sigh. After a few moments she opened her eyes and glanced around the room. It was small and nearly empty with very little furnishing. Besides the bed there was a night stand with a candle sitting on it and another small table in the corner of the room which contained a basin. There was a small dresser that looked fairly old and a small chair seated by the window. Just the essentials it seemed, but Rae didn't care, her head was filled with more important thoughts. She couldn't help but to replay the events since she found the necklace till now over and over in her head. The more she did the more nervous and shaky she started to feel. She tried to think of something else but found that her eyelids suddenly felt extremely heavy. Giving in she closed her eyes and found a comfortable position. Within minutes her breathing became slow as she let the world drift away.

* * *

"Have you lost your mind?" D mentally sighed as he lay down on the bed. He wasn't in the mood for a rant at the moment from his left hand, who was currently on a roll. "Bane! Your going to try and take on Count Bane? Do you have a death wish?" D held his palm up to his face so he could glance at the annoyed face that soon formed there. "You know him?" The parasite could only sputter. "K-know him! O-of course I know him! There isn't a vampire alive today who doesn't know him! He's one of the most powerful vampires left! Almost as powerful as your father, hell he was friends with your father! I can't believe you agreed to take him on! Ooh you've done some stupid, suicidal, idiotic things before but this is by far the wors-ummph hmmph mmmph!" D sighed out loud this time as the parasite's ranting was effectively cut off. Only muffled angry noises could be heard coming from the pillow that his left hand was currently shoved against. He didn't need a lecture on Count Bane, he new him well enough.

His father had indeed been friends with the Count and D had even met him once when he was a child. His father often held meetings with other vampires in their castle and his mother would usually keep him entertained away from the meetings so he wouldn't cause trouble. This one meeting however his mother had accompanied his father, so D was told to stay upstairs, but like any child curiosity had soon gotten the better of him and he had decided to peak in on his father. D loved and admired his father very much and liked to be involved in whatever it was he was doing. He had crouched outside the door to the large dinning room and listened to his father and his guest talking. He hadn't been there for ten minutes when the talking suddenly ceased and the room grew quiet. D had thought the meeting was over and was about to return upstairs, but before he had the chance to move the door suddenly opened and D was met with the sight of a man he had never seen before. The man studied him for a moment before smiling.

"Well hello there. You wouldn't happen to be D would you?" D had been to startled to reply but it hadn't seemed to bother the man. "I am Count Bane and it is a pleasure to finally meet you." He than turned to stare back into the dinning room. "I believe your son is bored and in need of some entertainment." D had glanced behind the man apprehensively and was met with the sight of his very annoyed looking father. His mother had apologized before returning him to his room and stayed with him till the meeting was over and his father met them both upstairs. That was the last time D had ever spied on one of his father's meetings. Shortly after that his father broke ties with Count Bane and D hasn't encountered the man since, but he's continued to hear of him.

A knocking brought D's eyes to the door of his room. "Yes?" The door opened to reveal a young women, but not the one D had been expecting. She was medium height with short brown hair and hazel eyes. "S-sorry to bother you, but Darcy sent me up here to tell you that the Mayor requests your presence at his house." D was silent for a moment before turning to glance out his window at the large white house that sat on the hill. He gave a slight nod of his head and that was all the confirmation the girl needed before fleeing from his room. D slowly rose from his bed and proceeded out the door the women had left open in her hastily retreat.

* * *

"It's a shame that women had to interfere, I was looking forward to seeing the girl strike that arrogant human. Who would have thought the girl actually may be good for something?" D stared down at the young girl who slept soundly on the bed. "So, did she pass your little test?" D once again glanced at the girl's wrist that was now starting to bruise just a bit and it had a sudden wave of anger stream through him, but he quickly banished it. "Don't think I don't know what that was. I've been attached to you for far to long to not know how that twisted little mind of yours works. You were testing the girl to see how much she could handle, if she'd be able to take care of herself. Your seriously considering bringing her along?" "Don't be foolish." Even as he said it he reached out and pulled the covers the girl had managed to kick off herself back up to rest on her shoulders. She mumbled something under her breath before snuggling into them and becoming still once more.

"Face it your turning soft. That's what these women do, it's sickening really." After a moment D turned from the girl and walked to the door. He continued out into the hallway before softly shutting the door behind him.

Right o! There's chapter five! Again sorry for the delay I promise to get chapter six out ASAP! Thanks for being so patient.


	7. Chapter 6: Understanding

Chapter Six! Yay!

**Special Thanks**: Some of these are really late. 

Colleen- Hey thanks so much for the review I'm glad you enjoy this. I red your story and you need to start the second chapter cause I need to know what happens next! :P

Swimchikky- Thank you so much for drawing the picture of Rae I really appreciate it and am so glad you like the story!

Notarealperson1234- I checked out jemstone5's story and you were so right! I was instantly hooked though I haven't red it in a while since my computer had a mental breakdown, but I will continue! Thanks for the recommendation and the review!

Musashi Den- Dinner in a can lol! You have to love Lefty. I started reading your story and I love it! Julian is awesome and seriously makes me laugh. I must agree D does look sexy in that hat! I'm not very far yet but I'll continue to read as long as you continue to update! Thanks for the review! :P

Rae was awoken from her sleep by the loud knocking on her door. She opened her eyes and looked around the unfamiliar room with hazy confusion. She sat up hastily as the door to her room suddenly opened and Darcy strolled in and approached her bed. "Oh good your awake." The elder woman stated without even looking at her. Rae just continued to stare silently at her and simply blinked when she dropped a pile of clothes she had in her arms onto her bed and began to sort through them. "Uh..?" Darcy glanced up at her and smiled. "I thought you could use some clothes. I didn't notice you carrying a bag with any supplies, and the ones you have on look like they could use a washing."

Rae looked down to inspect herself and decided Darcy was right. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty from running through the woods in the rain and falling in the mud when she had tripped over a tree root. So much had happened so fast she hadn't really even noticed her current appearance. "I guess your right. Thanks." Darcy just waved a hand at her before she grabbed a shirt and held it up to Rae's chest. "Yea this should fit." She stated after a moment of studying the young girl. "Now we just need a set of pants." She continued to mumble to herself as she began to separate the clothes into different piles. Rae looked down at the simple long sleeved white shirt. It wasn't exactly her style but hey, beggars can't be choosers. She looked back over toward Darcy as she made what could be described as a sound of triumph while inspecting a pair of solid black pants.

"Here stand up." "What?" Darcy just rolled her eyes before she tugged Rae out of the bed who stumbled a bit but quickly regained her balance. Before she could protest Darcy had spun her around and was holding the pair of pants up to her waist. "Yep I think these should do the trick." She thrust the pair of pants into Rae's arms than snatched the shirt off the bed and threw that to her as well. Rae could only stare blankly as she began to gather up the rest of the clothes and made her way toward the door. "You try those on and let me know how they fit. Just leave your old clothes in a pile and I'll wash them for you."

"Uh, okay tha..." But Darcy had already walked out of the room and shut the door behind her cutting off Rae's sentence."

After just standing in the middle of the room in a slight daze Rae began stripping herself of her clothes. Once she was changed she walked over to study her reflection in the small mirror hanging over the wash basin. The shirt was a bit loose but that didn't bother her, Rae liked her clothes kind of baggy, they were much more comfortable and easier to move around in that way. The pants were a nearly perfect fit as well. She was in the middle of picking her old clothes up off the floor when the knock sounded at her door. "Are you finished getting changed?" "Yea come on in!" The door opened and Darcy stepped into the room. She stopped and studied Rae for a few moments than nodded her head. "Well, looks like I was right. They seem to fit you okay." Rae nodded in agreement as Darcy stepped forward and took her old clothes from her. "I'll just wash these and have them back to you once they dry." "I can wash them.." Rae quickly shut her mouth when Darcy turned to give her a sharp look that clearly said 'Don't argue with me.' "Well thanks for the clothes. Are you sure you don't need them?" "They're not mine, they're my daughter's." Rae could have sworn she heard a bit of strain in her voice but thought it must be her imagination. "Oh...well are you sure she doesn't need them?" This time Darcy's whole body seemed to tense and Rae got a sinking suspicion that she had said some thing very wrong.

The two women simply stood there in silence, Rae becoming more anxious with every passing minute until Darcy turned very slowly to face her. Rae's previous suspicion was confirmed at the look on Darcy's face. Her eyes had dulled and her face had become tight as if she was trying to restrain it from giving away the emotion she was feeling, whatever it may be. She simply studied her for a few seconds before letting out a very deep sigh. "If I said something wrong I'm sor.." "They took her." Rae became silent immediately and watched as Darcy turned to look out the window.

"It was a few years ago, the first time I ever saw him." Rae dared to ask who and was surprised at the look of pure hate that came to Darcy's face. "Count Bane." The name was practically spat out of Darcy's mouth. "I'll never forget that night as long as I live." "You don't have to tell me." Rae stated quickly not wanting to make the women discuss something that was obviously painful. "Yes I do. Because if you intend to stay with the hunter, you need to understand." Rae simply fell silent and waited for her to continue.

"I remember waking up to the screaming, it was so loud, and there was so much of it. I was in a daze. I didn't know what was going on until my husband burst in through our bedroom door. I tried to ask him what was happening but he just screamed at me to get the kids. Cadin was just a baby at the time so he doesn't remember much, and I thank God for it. Sometimes I wish I could simply forget. We had his crib in our room so it was easy to grab him. I ran down the hall to my daughter's room, but she had already been awoken by all the noise. My husband came back down the hall with his gun and ran past us. He told us to lock the door and stay inside, but I followed him. I told the kids to stay inside and I ran out after him. When I stepped outside I couldn't believe my eyes, it was pure chaos. People where screaming and running for their lives. The wolves were everywhere. They were destroying the town and attacking the villagers. People where being trampled and shooting each other in the confusion. I desperately searched for my husband, convinced if I found him we could all simply flee the town."

Tears had started to flow from her eyes but she didn't seem to notice as she continued with the story. "I was so bent on finding him I didn't notice my daughter had come out of the house to try and find us and see what was going on. She must have gotten swept up in the panic. I finally found my husband and managed to drag him back to the house, we were going to collect the kids and try to make a run for it. When I entered the house I found Cadin screaming in his crib and quickly realized my daughter was missing. We all ran back outside hoping she hadn't gone far. By that time most of the villagers were either to injured to move or dead, and the surviving ones had formed a circle in the middle of the town. The werewolves had formed a line blocking off any hope of retreat. I thought they where going to kill us all, but than _he_ stepped out of the shadows and I could tell what he was right away. The paleness of his skin, the pointed ears, he had such an ethereal look it would be impossible to mistake him for a human. He simply studied us for a few minutes before he smiled. We were crying and shaking, fearing for our lives! And he _smiled_. He proceeded to introduce himself as Count Bane and told us he was taking up residency in the mountains near our town. He thought it would be a good idea to come and properly introduce himself so _we_ would be sure not to cause _him_ any trouble. After his little speech he gathered up his beasts and proceeded to leave. We quickly realized he wasn't leaving empty handed. He had gathered up some of the young women in the town and was going to take them back to his castle, I thought I was going to die when I saw my daughter among them. My husband quickly noticed her as well and tried to go after them, and they killed him. Slaughtered him right in front of us. I was shocked. I couldn't do anything but stand there completely paralyzed with my son in my arms.

When the Count had left and I finally came to my senses I begged the mayor to go after them, they had to save my daughter, but he refused. The town was destroyed and there weren't enough people to even stand a chance against the Count. They would have all been slaughtered. I new it, but I still cried and begged for them to go after her. I threatened to go by myself a couple of times, but I couldn't leave my son, he was all I had left. So I focused on taking care of him and helping rebuild the town, it was all I could do. A few years passed in peace and we all thought we were safe, that maybe the Count had decided our town was to small to be of any use to him and had moved on, but we were wrong. The attacks started up again and we knew it was only the beginning. We were just a food source for him and his wolves. We knew he wouldn't stop unless we put a stop to him."

Rae could only stare at her in stunned silence. Her story sounded like something out of a horror novel, to think real people had actually had to go through an experience like that. "So that's why the villagers acted like that towards D." She muttered quietly to herself, it all made sense. "It was a last resort, believe me. The villagers were furious, told the mayor that one vampire was bad enough, to invite another one into the town was suicide. But the Mayor was desperate." "You really think D can kill this Count Bane?" Darcy simply shrugged her shoulders. "He's supposed to be the best." Rae thought back to their conversation with the creature in the forest.

_"Ah, you I recognize." The creature lay a steady and sly gaze on D. "Your the dunpeal hunter correct?" Rae shifted her eyes from the young man to D. "You know him?"_

_"No, he doesn't, but I know of him by reputation. Almost every demon, vampire and many other creatures know of him. A force to be reckoned with if I've heard correctly."_

"People call D a dunpeal hunter. What exactly does that mean?" "Huh?" The look of shock Darcy gave her was enough to make Rae guess that was a pretty common word in whatever the hell time she was currently in. _'Maybe I should tell her I'm from the past. Then she'd stop looking at me like I'm a moron.' _"Well I obviously know he's not human but he hasn't exactly explained much to me about himself." Rae stated in a somewhat defeated voice. "Not surprising. He hasn't uttered more than five words to me since you guys got here. A dunpeal or dhampir means he's a half breed, half human and half vampire." "Half human and half vampire?" "Yea, it happens when a full blooded vampire and a human have a child. They're known as dhampires." "Oh, yea...I guess that makes sense. So if he's half human he can't be as bad as a full vampire right?" Darcy looked at her grimly and shook her head. "It doesn't matter, full vampire or half vampire. None of it matters, people fear them equally. It's just how it is." For some reason Rae couldn't help the urge to defend him. "Well he's been nothing but nice to me and I trust him!" She was surprised when Darcy smiled at her than simply turned and started for the door. "I'm going to get these clothes washed. If you want to go back to sleep I can wake you up for dinner." Rae had almost forgotten she had even been asleep. "How long was I out for?" "About an hour or so." "No that's okay I think I'll just stay up." "Suit yourself." Rae sat on the floor and started to put her shoes back on when Darcy suddenly turned back around. "You know for what it's worth, I trust him to." And after giving her a small wink Darcy turned back around and proceeded down the hall.

Rae continued to stare at the empty doorway before she smiled and started to put her second shoe on. Once she was done she ran out the door and headed for the steps. She wanted to go track down D and see what he was up to. _'Hope he's still not mad at me.'_

* * *

D was currently leaning against a wall in what seemed to be a huge study. There was a desk with a large chair behind it and a bookcase against a wall with various books whose titles gleamed back at him from their spines. The room was simple, with a few pictures on the wall and smaller tables scattered around the room with various things on them. When D had first arrived he was greeted by what he assumed to be a maid or caretaker of some sort who had ushered him into the room where he was told the Mayor would be right with him. That had been twenty minutes ago.

"I tell you these humans have some nerve! Like we don't have anything better to do than stand around all day! But hey on the bright side look at this house, it's huge! I bet you could really pump some money out of that old fossil for this mission, aye D?" The parasite's cackling was cut off by the click of the knob as the door to the study finally opened.

D stood up straight as a man in his late fifties entered the room flanked by an all to familiar face, one D wasn't exactly ecstatic to see, and judging by the nasty scowl on Brett's face the feeling was mutual. "Ah hunter! There you are, so sorry to keep you waiting, I apologize." D didn't say anything, simply giving a small nod of his head. "Right, well let's get down to business shall we?" The Mayor walked around the desk and plopped himself down into the chair. Brett walked past D and stood at his father's side while continuing to scowl at D who simply ignored him. "You are already aware of why your here I presume?" "Count Bane." The Mayor nodded as D stated the vampire's name in a monotone voice. "Yes. The count has been terrorizing my town for a couple years now and unfortunately I don't have enough villagers left to even hope of standing a chance against a full blooded vampire, not to mention one as powerful as Count Bane. I need you to exterminate him and the wolves who serve him. Once that has been accomplished we can finally begin to move on with our lives and once again live in peace." "It will not be an easy task, even for me. I can not make any guarantees." Brett gave a loud snort and glared at D.

"So in other words your having my father pay you to be completely useless." The young man stated venomously and was quickly reprimanded by his father. "Brett! I agreed you could come to this meeting granted you would be civil!" Brett bit his lip and turned to glare out the window. The elder man gave a loud sigh and put a hand over his face in a worn out and tired manner. "If there is any chance at all that you could help us rid ourselves of the Count and stop this never ending hell, I'll take it." D nodded in understanding. "Unfortunately, in terms of payment repairing the Count's constant destruction has left our funds rather...low." "Five million dollars." "F..Five million dollars!" Brett launched himself from the wall and started advancing toward D. "You ask us for that kind of money after what we've been put through when your not even sure you can accomplish the job! You evil, monstrous..!"

"That's enough!" Brett froze a few feet from D at his father's shout and the loud bang that sounded when he stood and slammed his palms down onto the surface of the desk. "I'll pay whatever you ask as long as you get rid of him! Come back tomorrow and I'll have your money. Three million now and the other two when he's dead." D simply turned toward the door with a flutter of his cape, but stopped when the Mayor called out to him. "One more thing. Brett, would you mind fetching me a drink?" When his son made no motion to comply and simply glowered at the both of them his father moved from behind his desk, grabbed his son by the arm and drug him to the door. D watched the young man struggle and curse as he was shoved from the room. "A brandy would be nice." And before his son could snarl at him he promptly shut the door in his face before turning back to the hunter. "There is one more thing we need to discuss that is to stay just between you and me." When the hunter simply stood waiting for him to continue he nodded grimly. "When the Count first attacked our village there were some young women taken captive. I know it's very unlikely, but if you should find them at his castle and they are turned I want them destroyed. I want this whole situation over with, no loose ends. Understood?"

D once more nodded his head in understanding before seeing himself out of the study. As he proceeded through the parlor he caught a glimpse of Brett coming down the large, winding staircase with a glass in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. Brett stared at him with guarded curiosity as to what had been said between the hunter and his father that couldn't be discussed in his presence, but before he could ask, the hunter turned his back on him and proceeded to the front door.

D opened the large white door and stepped out onto the patio. As he walked down the front steps he paused on the last one to stare at the familiar dog sprawled out on the beginning of the dirt path leading from the house down to the road. The dog stretched and jumped to his feet when he caught sight of him. D simply watched as the dog approached him and excitedly danced around him in a circle a few times before pausing at his side to nip and lick at his hand. Deciding to humor the enthusiastic animal D reached out his hand to lightly stroke him on his head. The dog wagged his tail and leaned into his touch before prancing down the path. Watching with a flicker of amusement as the dog turned around, and when he saw he was not being followed, let out a sharp bark. D started walking down the path toward the dog who obediently waited for him to catch up before continuing ahead of him. D felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards, it appeared he had himself a self appointed escort back to the Inn.

* * *

Rae ran through the town in an attempt to locate her anti-social partner in crime. She had been searching for what seemed like forever and wasn't getting anywhere. After tearing through the tavern, knocking on every door in the place, and pissing off almost every person she came across she had decided to take her rampaging search to the streets. Let's face it, they were not exactly on good terms with the people of the town to begin with, so her pestering them to help find the source of their displeasure was not the best idea. After searching half the town she began to get irritated. How hard could it be to find the guy! Its not like he blended into the crowd! You would think spotting a nearly seven foot tall man decked out in black leather would be rather simple!

_'Maybe he went back to the Inn and I missed him?' _Deciding it was worth a shot Rae turned around and headed back to base. When she arrived she quickly found out from Darcy's staff that her companion hadn't returned and with a loud sigh she decided to just sit and wait for him. _'I should get Dusk maybe he could track him down? Come to think of it I haven't seen him either.' _Having failed in locating D Rae decided she would try to find her dog instead, that should be a simpler task. She wandered around the Inn calling for him and was annoyed when she received no response. _'They all hate me!'_

Circling around to the back of the Inn Rae found herself facing a large barn. _'That must be where D's horse is. Maybe he's in there!' _Seeing that the barn was about the only place she hadn't looked Rae thought there was a pretty good chance. The door to the barn was ajar so she slipped inside easily. The barn was large and dark and after stumbling over a length of rope and nearly maiming herself with a rake Rae spotted a soft light coming from one of the stalls. She carefully made her way closer and recognized the silhouette of D's large, black horse. _'Finally.'_ "There you are! You know I've been searching everywhere for yo.." Instead of finding D in the stall with the horse, like she originally suspected, she was surprised to find a young boy, no older than six. He had shaggy, midnight black hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. He seemed just as surprised with her sudden appearance as he simply stared at her. "Oh I'm sorry I thought you were someone else." The boy didn't respond and continued to stare at her with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Looking to reassure him Rae walked over and knelt down so they were eye to eye.

"Hello. My name's Rae." The boy looked shyly at her but laughed softly when the large black horse stepped forward and nudged her shoulder, causing her to lose her balance and fall sideways. "Hey! Watch it you brute!" The horse simply snorted and turned it's attention to the large bucket of feed the boy set down in front of him. Rae watched as the boy stroked the horse's nose while it ate and had to admit, the kid was cute as hell. She couldn't help thinking he looked familiar. Where had she seen him before? She tried to recall it from her memory. Damn her three second attention span! Finally she remembered. This had been the boy hidden behind Darcy when D and her had first arrived. So that would make him... "Cadin?" The boy looked up at her clearly surprised. His look of surprise quickly changed to one of keen curiosity as he tilted his head and studied her. "How do you know my name?" So she had been right.

"Your mom told me a little while ago when I woke up." He seemed satisfied with her answer as he nodded his head and turned his attention back to the horse. "Have you been taking care of him since we got here?" The boy nodded his head once again. "My mamma told me to. I gave him some water and brushed him a little, but I couldn't reach up top." "Well that was nice of you., he looks a lot better, you did a good job. I bet D will be happy." Cadin glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Your wearing my sister's clothes." "Huh?" Rae glanced down at herself having forgotten she had changed her clothes. She glanced back at the boy but he wasn't looking at her, instead he seemed very focused on his current task of petting the horse's neck. "Yea, mine were a little dirty so your mom let me borrow them. Do you mind me wearing them?" The boy seemed to think about it for a few minutes than shook his head. He continued petting the horse for a few more seconds before his hand stilled and slowly dropped to his side. "She was taken away you know." It was said so matter of factly Rae could only blink at him. "Yea I know. Your mom told me that to." "Mama doesn't like to talk about it much, but I've heard the people talking in the tavern. They all think she's dead." Rae continued to stare at the boy who continued to stare pointedly at the ground. What the hell were you supposed to say to a statement like that?

She was saved the horrific task of thinking up a proper answer to the statement when the boy asked her a question. "Are you friends with the man dressed in black?" "Huh, the man in black? Oh you mean D?" The boy looked up at her as if thinking she might scold him, so she gave him a smile. "I don't know if we're friends exactly. I haven't known him very long." Cadin studied the pretty older girl and decided she seemed nice, maybe she'd answer his questions? "Is he going to get rid of the vampire?" Rae studied the young boy and got the distinct feeling she was being interrogated, but than again who could blame him? What young kid didn't want to know about everything going on? She sure had when she had been about his age, and having a vampire hunter come waltzing into town would have definitely peaked her curiosity.

Cadin looked nervously up at the women thinking he was going to get scolded at for being nosy again when she didn't reply right away. Coming out of her thoughts and noticing him gazing at her Rae tried to think of a good answer. "Well like I said I don't know him very well, but from what I've heard it sounds like he's supposed to be pretty strong." "The villagers all think he's dangerous." Rae smiled sadly at the young boy as he walked over and sat on the ground in front of her. "Yea I know they do. What do you think?" The boy seemed taken aback that someone had actually asked his opinion on the matter and his face took on a look of such serious concentration that it had Rae grinning. "His swords really cool." Rae laughed as she reached out to ruffle the young boy's hair. Cadin blushed but smiled shyly at her. "Yea I guess it is." The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Cadin spoke up once again.

"What's his name?" "Who's?" The boy pointed over toward the horse who had finished eating and was instead exploring the contents of the stall. "I don't know if he has a name, I never asked." Rae watched as Cadin scrunched up his face. "Everyone has to have a name, otherwise what do you call them?" "That's true. We'll have to ask D, if he ever comes back." The last part she muttered under her breath in an irritated whisper. "I always wanted a horse, but mom said I had to wait till I was older so I could take care of it myself. I think I could take care of one now though." "You sure did a good job with him." Cadin smiled at her obviously pleased that she agreed with him, but he than bowed his head and slumped his shoulders. "I don't know how to ride a horse though. I've never ridden one before." He peeked up at her through the dark hair that hung in his face in an almost embarrassed manner. "It's no big deal, you just have to learn. I didn't learn how to ride a horse until I was ten." "You know how to ride a horse?" "Yea I'm pretty good at it. In fact I bet I could teach you if your m.." "Really? You really think so?" Rae was startled at the young boy's excited and sudden interruption. "Well first we would have to ask your mom if it's okay." Cadin let out an excited shout and before Rae new it he had grabbed her hand and was pulling her to her feet. "Right now! Can we ask her now? Please? Do you think she'll say yes?" He kept firing off questions so fast it was a wonder he didn't pass out from lack of oxygen.

_'Now you've gone and done it.' _But Rae couldn't help the smile as she was dragged out the door and toward the Inn by the hyperactive young boy.

* * *

"Pleeeeeeeease mamma?" Darcy stood behind the bar with her hands on her hips studying her son who was kneeling on a stool in front of her. She than glanced behind him toward Rae who just grinned at her sheepishly. She turned her attention back to her son and had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing at the ridiculously pleading look plastered on his face. "And tell me, what exactly do you plan on practicing on?" Cadin's face fell immediately as he realized he didn't have a horse of his own. He glanced back at Rae who tentatively walked up to stand beside him. "I was thinking he could just use D's horse. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He let me ride him once before." Darcy turned to glance at her with a look of complete impassiveness, it could have given D a serious run for his money. "And your experienced are you?" Rae simply smirked.

"I haven't killed myself yet." Darcy's eyes seemed to narrow and they both waited silently for her answer. Slowly a smile spread over her face as she looked toward her son. "Well, I suppose it would be all right." "Really? You'll let me?" When his mother nodded Cadin let out an excited whoop, kissed her on the cheek and jumped off his stool intending on making a mad dash for the barn. "Hold it!" He froze in mid step with his hand on the door and turned back around to face his mother. "You'll do everything she tells you to or she's to send you straight back inside and the next time you sit your butt in a saddle you'll be sixty. You understand me?" "Yes ma'am." And out the door he flew.

Rae turned to look at Darcy with a sly smile. "Sap." Darcy's face softened. "That's the truth. Rae." "Hmm?" "Take care of him. One scratch on that boy and you and me are going to have serious problems." The humor had completely vanished from her face and Rae nodded in understanding. "I won't let anything happen to him. I promise you."

* * *

D was walking back to the Inn ignoring all the glares he received and the mutters of "half-breed" and "monster" from the towns people. The reactions to his presence whenever he entered a town where always the same. The men and older women looked at him with distrust and fear while some of the younger girls studied him with curiosity, and on more than one occasion outright lust. As he walked down the street he mentally created a list of supplies he would need in order to start planning the best way to deal with Bane. He had enough money left over from a previous job to start collecting them, but decided he would worry about buying the supplies he needed tomorrow once he received the first half of his payment from the Mayor.

Once he reached the Inn he approached the front door but paused when Dusk started barking and took off around the back of the Inn. Going on instinct D decided to follow.

As he came around a corner he froze at the sight presented a few feet away from him.

Instead of being in the barn where he had left him, his horse was instead slowly trotting around in a circle. Seated in the saddle was the girl, apparently she had awoken, and in front of her was a young boy. The girl stopped the horse when she spotted Dusk hastily approaching. The dog stopped at the horse's side and she leaned down to pat him on the head. After explaining something to the boy she handed him the reigns and the boy's face took on a look of sheer excitement as he grasped them in his hands. Rae than climbed down from the saddle and seemed to say something else to the boy who listened to her with rapt attention. After making a circular motion with her hand she stepped back away from the horse and drug Dusk with her. When she had put about ten feet between them and the horse she nodded to the boy who nodded back and faced forward. He than lightly tapped the side of the horse with his heel and let out a happy yip when the horse obediently started walking forward. He gently tugged the reign to the right and effectively had the horse walking in a slow circle around the girl who smiled.

D simply stood where he was and watched the two of them, quickly figuring out the girl was teaching the boy how to ride his horse. Though his face remained emotionless his eyes took on a softness as the boy successfully halted the horse and grinned widely as the girl clapped and praised him. "Don't tell me your starting to consider becoming a family man." D dug his nails harshly into his palm and had the parasite cursing him as it quickly retreated back into the skin of his hand. That was something he could never even dream of obtaining. A family for someone like him was impossible. His heritage and lifestyle made it so, and D had come to terms with that simple fact many years ago. The hunter watched them for a little while longer before starting to advance towards them. The girl had her back to him so she did not notice his approach, but the young boy caught sight of him and D watched his eyes go wide.

Rae noticed the change in Cadin's demeanor immediately and quickly turned around, intent on finding the cause of it. When she spotted D walking toward them her fear quickly changed to relief. "D!" She happily called to him and waved enthusiastically. When he reached the front of his horse he stopped and reached out a hand to stroke it down it's nose. He tilted his head back slightly to study the young boy perched in the saddle from under the rim of his hat. The boy had gone slightly pale as he nervously returned D's gaze. "You know I was looking everywhere for you." Rae stated in an irritated voice and it drew the man's eyes towards her own. "Why?" Was that concern she heard in his voice? _'Pssh. Fat chance.' _She simply shrugged her shoulders. "I was bored and feeling very abandoned, but lucky for me Cadin here kept me company." She looked up to wink at the young boy who had seemed to go rather stiff in the saddle, hoping to put him at ease, but he just continued to stare at D in wide eyed wonder. "He brushed your horse." D looked from Rae to the boy than reached up a hand to glide it slowly down the horse's neck. "He doesn't get brushed often. I'm sure he enjoyed it." D stated and returned his gaze to the young boy. "Thank you."

Seeming to come out of a daze Cadin slowly nodded his head than looked down at the ground. "I c..couldn't reach the top." He stuttered it under his breath than hesitantly glanced back up at D. "You did a fine job." Cadin seemed stunned that the man had actually complemented him, his look of surprise quickly replaced with a coy smile. Seemingly spurred by the man's praise Cadin became a bit bolder. "What's his name?" "I never gave him one." "Why?" Rae watched the two interact with a grin. _'About time someone got him talking.'_

"I think he should have a name." Cadin announced it with such decisiveness Rae couldn't help but laugh. "I agree." She stated as she placed a hand on the horse's side and smiled at D. "Cadin, why don't you think of one?" The boy's earlier confidence instantly deflated as his gaze darted to D than instantly back to Rae. "B..but he's not mine." "Well obviously his owner's a loafer." Rae snorted and bit her lip when D slid his sharp gaze to her. The shadow over his eyes, caused by the rim of his hat, made it seem all the more menacing.

"There you guys are." All three heads turned simultaneously to face Darcy. "I just wanted to let you know that dinners ready whenever you want it." "Mama look I can ride the horse! Watch me okay? Can I?" D stepped back to allow the child room and Rae walked over to stand at his side. Cadin did three full circles before coming to a halt beside his mother. "See! Did you see?" Darcy smiled lovingly at her son. "Yes I saw. You handle that horse well, better than half the grown men in this town." Cadin laughed and proudly sat up straighter in the saddle. "Well I bet you two are hungry. Cadin ,you go wash up for supper." "Aww but mom.." "Cadin Ross!" The boy winced as his mother used his full name, that was never a good sign. With a defeated sigh he climbed off the horse, grabbed the reigns and proceeded to bring the horse back to the barn. "Hey! Aren't you forgetting something?" "Huh? Oh!" Cadin turned to face Rae and smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you for teaching me." "Anytime." Cadin than turned his attention to D and slowly approached him. "Thank you for letting me ride your horse." Both women stood and watched D as he stared down at the child. After a moments pause he reached out and placed his hand on the young boy's head. Cadin startled at first but he quickly relaxed under the man's touch. He didn't know why the villagers thought he was so bad, the man seemed nice enough to him. Cadin sent the man a wide grin before bounding off to put the horse back in the barn.

"He'll get him settled for the night. You two come with me and we'll get you some food." Rae watched as Darcy rounded the corner and started to follow after her. When she noticed D wasn't following she paused and turned back around. She found D simply standing and staring at her and she let out a huff. "What now?" "You changed your clothes." Suddenly feeling a little self conscious for some reason under his intense gaze Rae pried her eyes away from his and let out a nervous laugh. "Oh. Yea, Darcy lent them to me so mine could be washed. What do you think?" Rae sent him a playful smile as she twirled around in a circle and struck a pose attempting to rid herself of the awkward feeling. D didn't say anything and just started walking towards her. Just when she thought he was going to pass her he pause and turned his head slightly to the side. He leaned in close to her and Rae went completely still as she waited to see what he would do. When he made no other movements Rae got up the courage to angle her head to the side so she was facing him. That had been a mistake.

Their noses where now barely an inch apart and Rae felt her heart start to race but she refused to break eye contact. He simply stood there, unmoving and silent, than he leaned in closer so his face was nearly buried in her hair. Rae was almost positive he could hear her heart pounding against her chest as she felt his breath ghost over her neck. Just when she was about to step back D did something she never would have suspected…..he sniffed her. Rae's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in surprise. _'Did he just..?' _She must have been mistaken, there was no way he would... "You smell better." And with those three words he pulled away from her and followed after Darcy. Rae simply stood rooted to the spot, not sure whether she should be glad or insulted. Settling on the latter her face scrunched up into a look of pure horror. "Are you saying I stunk!" But D had already disappeared around the corner.

* * *

"You know it really is a wonder your single." Came the sarcastic drawl from his left hand as he opened the door to the Inn and stepped inside.

It's been forever since I updated this I'm so sorry! Work has been a pain in the ass but I'll try to get this back on track so hang in there and as always thanks to all who read and review!


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